HONG KONG, Dec 14, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit Macau next week for a gathering marking 25 years since the former Portuguese colony's handover to China, state news agency Xinhua said Saturday.

Xi will also attend the inauguration of Macau's incoming administration and conduct an inspection tour during the December 18-20 visit, according to Xinhua.

Macau grew into a trading post with a mixed Portuguese-Chinese population and cultural heritage during 442 years of colonial rule before it was handed over to China on December 20, 1999.

The city has since become the world's top casino hub by gaming revenue and a popular destination for Chinese tourists. It is the only place in China where casino gambling is allowed.

Like neighbouring Hong Kong, Macau operates under a "One Country, Two Systems" framework that promises a high degree of autonomy, its own legal system and stronger safeguards for civil liberties than those on the mainland.

Former top judge Sam Hou-fai will be sworn in as Macau's next leader on December 20, replacing Ho Iat-seng.

Sam was the sole candidate in an election where only 400 pro-establishment figures -- out of the city's nearly 700,000 people -- were eligible to vote.