President Xi Jinping has urged the Macao Special Administrative Region to fully leverage the institutional advantages of the practice of "one country, two systems", work hard and be bold in making innovations to create a brighter future for the cherished pearl of the motherland.

Xi made the remarks on Wednesday afternoon as he arrived in the SAR amid eager anticipation of people from all walks of life ahead of the 25th anniversary of Macao's return to the motherland, which falls on Friday.

Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, and his wife, Peng Liyuan, were warmly welcomed by hundreds of young people and representatives of the public, who flanked the red carpet waving the national and regional flags as well as colorful bouquets.

"Every visit to this beautiful place has been very delightful for me," Xi said in a brief speech at the airport.

This is the seventh time in 25 years that Xi has set foot in Macao, which has a land area of 33.3 square kilometers and is located close to Zhuhai in Guangdong province.

In 2019, President Xi attended a gathering celebrating the 20th anniversary of Macao's return to the motherland and the inauguration ceremony of the fifth-term government of the Macao SAR. At that time, he called on all sections of society to build on what Macao has accomplished and take all undertakings in the SAR to the next level.

"This time, I'm here to celebrate with fellow compatriots the 25th anniversary of Macao's return to the motherland and see Macao's new developments and new changes in these years," he said.