MACAU
History
1.
In 1557, following assistance given by Portuguese ships in combatting piracy along the southern Chinese coast, the Chinese authorities in Canton gave permission for a Portuguese settlement at Macau. The first Portuguese Governor was appointed in 1680 and from that time until 1849 the Portuguese paid rent to the Chinese for the territory. It was not until 1887 that its status as Portuguese possession was confirmed by treaty, under which the Chinese recognised Portugal's right to "perpetual occupation" of Macau. The territory has a land area of 6 square miles, consisting of a small peninsula and two islands connected by a bridge and causeway.
2. The Chinese communists' policy on Macau has been similar to their policy on Hong Kong. They declared (in 1972) that they regarded both territories as parts of China under foreign occupation and as questions to be settled in an appropriate way when conditions were ripe.
3. The Chinese declined an offer by the military government in Lisbon, established following the Portuguese revolution of 1974, to hand Macau back to China. It has administrative and financial autonomy under the Organic Law of 1976 and since that time the Portuguese have regarded Macau as a "territory under Portuguese administration" and ceased to describe it as an "overseas
province". The Governor is appointed by the President of Portugal and under him there are 7 Secretaries in charge of the
administration. There is a Legislative Assembly of 17 members (to be increased to 23 by legislation passed in April)
a number of seats (currently just over one third) in the assembly have been filled by direct election since 1973.
Current Status
4. Following 8 months of negotiations, the Chinese and Portuguese Governments in 1987 agreed on a Joint Declaration, modelled on the Sino-British Joint Declaration on Hong Kong. Macao is to become a Special Administrative Region of China on 20 December 1999, having a high degree of autonomy and retaining its existing laws and systems for 50 years.
5. A Sino-Portuguese Joint Liaison Group was established in accordance with the Joint declaration. It has held 11 meetings so far. The next is planned for December 1991 in Macau. Protest in Macau over the June 1989 crackdown in China was less intense than in Hong Kong, and the work of the Sino-Portuguese Joint Liaison Group was not affected. In July 1991, the Chinese published a draft Basic Law for the post 1999 Macau Special Administrative Region. It too was closely modelled on the Basic Law for the Hong Kong SAR although it contained a number of provisions (on for example the nationality of leading officials and the stationing of Chinese troops in the Region) that were more favourable than their equivalents in the Hong Kong Basic Law.
Page 15Page 16
*
>
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.