Handover of Macau
Handover of Macau | |
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Date(s) | 20 December 1999 |
Location(s) | Macau |
Participants | China Portugal |
History of the People's Republic of China |
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China portal |
The transfer of sovereignty of Macau from Portugal to the People's Republic of China (PRC) occurred on 20 December 1999.
Macau was settled by Portuguese merchants in 1535, during the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644 CE) and was subsequently under various degrees of Portuguese rule until 1999. Portugal's involvement in the region was formally recognised by the Qing in 1749. The Portuguese governor João Maria Ferreira do Amaral, emboldened by the First Opium War and the Treaty of Nanking, attempted to annex the territory, expelling Qing authorities in 1846, but was assassinated.[1] After the Second Opium War, the Portuguese government, along with a British representative, signed the 1887 Sino-Portuguese Treaty of Peking that gave Portugal perpetual colonial rights to Macau on the condition that Portugal would cooperate in efforts to end the smuggling of opium.[1]
After the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, and the transfer of China's seat to the PRC at the United Nations in 1971, foreign minister Huang Hua appealed to the UN Special Committee on Decolonization to remove Macau (and Hong Kong) from its list of colonies, preferring bilateral negotiations ending in a return of the territory, rather than the independence of the territory as was implied by its inclusion on the list.
On 25 April 1974, a group of left-wing Portuguese officers organized a coup d'état, overthrowing the right-wing ruling government that had been in power for 48 years. The new government began to transition Portugal to a democratic system and was committed to decolonization. The new Portuguese government carried out de-colonization policies, and proposed Macau's handover to China in 1978.[2] The Chinese government rejected this proposal, believing that an early transfer of Macau would impact relations with Hong Kong.[2]
On 31 December 1975, the Portuguese government withdrew its remaining troops from Macau. On 8 February 1979, the Portuguese government decided to break off diplomatic relations with the Republic of China, and established diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China the next day. Both Portugal and the People's Republic of China recognized Macau as Chinese territory. The colony remained under Portuguese rule until 20 December 1999, when it was transferred to China.
Negotiations
On 20 May 1986, the People's Republic of China, along with Portugal, officially announced that talks on Macanese affairs would take place in Beijing on 30 June 1986. The Portuguese delegation arrived in Beijing in June, and was welcomed by the Chinese delegation led by Zhou Nan.[3][4]
The talks consisted of four sessions, all held in Beijing:
- The first conference: 30 June – 1 July 1986
- The second conference: 9 – 10 September 1986
- The third conference: 21 – 22 October 1986
- The fourth conference: 18 – 23 March 1987
During the negotiations, Portuguese representatives offered to return Macau in 1985, but Chinese representatives rejected that year (as well rejecting previous requests for 1967, 1975, and 1977). China requested 1997, the same year as Hong Kong, but Portugal refused. 2004 was suggested by Portugal, as well as 2007 as that year would mark the 450th anniversary of Portugal renting Macau. However, China insisted for a year before 2000 as the Sino-British Joint Liaison Group in Hong Kong would be dissolved in 2000 as envisioned in 1986 (the Joint Liaison Group would be dissolved in 1999).[5] Eventually the year 1999 was agreed upon. [6]
On 13 April 1987, the Joint Declaration on the Question of Macau by the governments of the People's Republic of China and the Portuguese Republic was formally signed by the Prime Ministers of both governments in Beijing.[7]
Transition Period (1997-1999)
The twelve years between the signing of the "Sino-Portuguese Declaration" on 13 April 1987 and the transfer of sovereignty on 20 December 1999 were known as "the transition".
On 15 January 1988, the Chinese Foreign Affairs Department announced the Chinese members of the groups that would begin the talk on the issues of Macau during the transition. On 13 April, the "Draft of the Basic Law of the Macau Special Administrative Region Committee" was established during the seventh National People's Congress, and on 25 October, the committee convened the first conference, in which they passed the general outline of the draft and the steps, and decided to organise the "Draft of the Basic Law of Macau Special Administrative Region Information Committee".[8] On 31 March 1993, the National People's Congress passed the resolution on the Basic Law of Macau, which marked the beginning of the latter part of the transition.[9]
Transfer
In the afternoon of 19 December 1999, the 127th Portuguese Governor of Macau Vasco Joaquim Rocha Vieira lowered the flags in Macau, which was the prelude of the ceremony for the establishment of the Macau Special Administrative Region.[10] The official transfer of sovereignty was held at midnight on that day at the Cultural Centre of Macau Garden. The ceremony began in the evening and ended at dawn of 20 December.
The evening of 19 December began with dragon and lion dances. These were followed by a slideshow of historical events and features of Macau, which included a mixture of the religions and races of the East and the West, and the unique society of native Portuguese born in Macau. In the final performance, 422 children who represented the 422 years of Portuguese history in Macau were presented along with several international stars to perform the song "Praise for Peace".
Aftermath
After the transfer of the sovereignty of Macau to China, the Macau Special Administrative Region, the Legislative Assembly and the Judiciary were all put into practice accordingly under the regulation of the Basic Law.
The introduction of the Individual Visit Scheme policy made it easier for Chinese mainland residents to travel back and forth. In 2005 alone, there were more than 10 million tourists from mainland China, which made up 60% of the total number of tourists in Macau. The income from the gambling houses in Macau reached almost US$5.6 billion.[11] On 15 July 2005, the Historic Centre of Macau was listed as a World Cultural Heritage site. The increasing development of tourism became a major factor in the rapid development of the economy of Macau.
For Portugal, the transfer of the sovereignty of Macau to China marked the end of the Portuguese Empire and its decolonisation process and also the end of European imperialism in China & Asia. [12]
Before and after handover
Unchanged after 20 December 1999 | Changed after 20 December 1999 |
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See also
References
- ^ a b Mayers, William Frederick (1902). Treaties Between the Empire of China and Foreign Powers (4th ed.). Shanghai: North-China Herald. pp. 156–157.
- ^ a b Naked Tropics: Essays on Empire and Other Rogues, Kenneth Maxwell, Psychology Press, 2003
- ^ 朱杏桂. "澳門回歸". 中葡文化交流.
4月13日,中國國務院總理趙紫陽、葡萄牙總理席爾瓦分別代表兩國政府在北京正式簽署《中華人民共和國政府和葡萄牙共和國政府關於澳門問題的聯合聲明》,確認中華人民共和國政府將於1999年12月20日對澳門恢復行使主權。
- ^ 《澳門歷史的見證:中葡關於澳門問題聯合聲明簽署儀式圖輯》. 澳門日報出社. 2000-01.
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(help) - ^ http://www.scmp.com/topics/sino-british-joint-liaison-group
- ^ Cheng, Kris (27 November 2017). "Declassified: Portugal may have hoped for a 2004 Handover of Macau to China, instead of 1999". Hong Kong Free Press HKFP.
- ^ Portugal, China Sign Accord to Return Tiny Macao to Chinese Control in 1999, United Press International, Los Angeles Times, 14 April 1987
- ^ 关于澳门特别行政区基本法起草委员会名单(草案)的说明[permanent dead link ],中国人大网,1988年08月29日
- ^ 澳門中華總商會:澳門主權交接祖國大事記 Archived 2005-01-13 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ 澳督府降旗:澳門移交開始,BBC中文網1999年12月19日
- ^ "Voice of America (Chinese): The gambling income in Macau is catching up with Las Vegas".
- ^ "港澳比較調查顯示:澳門市民比香港市民支持政府". www.hkupop.hku.hk.
- ^ Portuguese makes comeback in Macau "portuguese-makes-comeback-macau Portuguese makes comeback in Macau". SCMP. SCMP. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
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value (help) - ^ Limited, Alamy. "Stock Photo - China, Macau, sign board of city street". Alamy.
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has generic name (help) - ^ The Legal and Judiciary System of Macao,People's Daily, 15 December 2009
- ^ Currency in Circulation in Macao, Monetary Authority of Macau
- ^ Bank of China Authorized to Issue HKD and MOP (1987–1992), Bank of China
- ^ Police expects visitor increase with round-the-clock borders, Macau Daily Times, 17 December 2014
- ^ LCQ1: Immigration clearance and entry visas to the Mainland for non-Chinese Hong Kong permanent residents with foreign passports, Government Information Centre, 15 February 2012
- ^ Certificate of Entitlement to the Right of Abode in the Macao SAR, Identification Services Bureau
- ^ Exit and Entry Administration Law of the People's Republic of China, Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
- ^ EU Relations with Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR), European External Action Service
- ^ Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), Direcção dos Serviços de Economia
- ^ Macao and Lao initialed new Air Services Agreement to liberalize the air transport market between the two places, Civil Aviation Authority of Macao SAR, 24 November 2010
- ^ Restrictions on Taiwan- Macau flights to be lifted, Taipei Times, 18 February 2014
- ^ "Member Association - Macau - FIFA.com". www.fifa.com.
- ^ "Sports Olympic Committee of Macau,China". www.macauolympic.org.
- ^ Strolling in Macau: A Visitor's Guide to Macau, Taipa, and Coloane, Steven K. Bailey, ThingsAsian Press, 2007, page 177
- ^ "Macau Cars Number Plates stock image. Image of number - 21973313". Dreamstime.
- ^ Circular com matrículas antigas, E-Konomista
- ^ Blurring Boundary – Macao, Hengqin draw closer with 24-hour border crossing, Macauhub, 6 June 2015
- ^ "The following countries/territories have agreed to grant visa-free access or visa-on-srrival to the holders of Macao (SAR) passport" (PDF).
- ^ Hong Kong & Macau, Andrew Stone, Chung Wah Chow, Reggie Ho, Lonely Planet, 2008, page 309
- ^ Keesing's Record of World Events, Volume 37, Longman, 1991
- ^ Europa World Year Book 2004, Taylor & Francis, 2004, pages 1179–80
- ^ Portuguese elected to Macao Parliament, The Portugal News, 1 October 2005
- ^ Lau in passport battle, The Independent, 16 December 1997
- ^ A quarter of a century: Remembering Tiananmen, Macau Business Daily, 5 June 2015
- ^ HK concern over Macau entry ban, BBC News Online, 4 March 2009
- ^ Macau threatens press freedom, South China Morning Post, 3 May 2012
- ^ Think tank says co-op between govt, civic groups 'important'. Macau News, 21 July 2014
- ^ Ms. Huang Ling, Member of Standing Committee of Xiamen Municipal Committee and Director of the United Front Work Department, and entourages visited CityU, City University of Macau, 24 November 2015
- ^ Pope appoints Hong Kong bishop to Macau, Vatican Radio, 16 January 2016
- ^ Religious Freedom in Asia, Edward P. Lipton Nova Publishers, 2002, page 101
- ^ Macao, China, International Telecommunication Union, 19 February 2013
- ^ China Law, Issues 1–6, 2008, page 50
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- ^ ISO Online Browsing Platform: CN
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- ^ First Globalization: The Eurasian Exchange, 1500–1800, Geoffrey C. Gunn, Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2003, page 270
- ^ Controversial Macao statue pulled down, United Press International, 28 October 1992
- ^ "João Ferreira do Amaral". Sítio da Câmara Municipal de Lisboa. Lisbon City Hall. Retrieved 1 October 2017.
A mudança da administração do território macaense implicou a transferência da estátua para Lisboa, que foi inaugurada no Bairro da Encarnação, em Dezembro de 1999.
- ^ Household LPG – Macao Consumer Council,
- ^ Role of the Chief Executive Basic Law of the Macao Special Administrative Region
- ^ Political Handbook of the World 1997, Arthur S. Banks, Alan J. Day, Thomas C. Muller, Springer, 1997, page 687
- ^ Government Headquarters to open to the public during the weekend, Government Information Bureau, 15 October 2015
- ^ Commercial and Economic Law in Macau, Jianhong Fan, Alexandre Dias Pereira, Kluwer Law International, page 23
- ^ Trade Policy Review: Macau, General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, 1994, page 15
- ^ Macao's judicial system being improved: court chief, China Daily, 10 December 2014
- ^ Limited, Alamy. "Stock Photo - China Macau Government Headquarters". Alamy.
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has generic name (help) - ^ Limited, Alamy. "Stock Photo - The Portuguese consulate building in Macau, China". Alamy.
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has generic name (help) - ^ Portugal's Last Days in Macao Marred by Chinese Troop Issue, The New York Times, 23 March 1999
- ^ Renamed Xinhua becomes a new force in Hong Kong's politics, Taipei Times, 21 January 2000
- ^ Asia Yearbook, Far Eastern Economic Review, 1988
- ^ Portuguese behavior towards the political transition and the regional integration of Macau in the Pearl River Region, Moisés Silva Fernandes, in Macau and Its Neighbours in Transition, Rufino Ramos, José Rocha Dinis, D.Y.Yuan, Rex Wilson, University of Macau, Macau Foundation, 1997, page 48
- ^ Macao SAR Government to Set up Office in Beijing, 26 July 2000
- ^ External Economic & Trade Relations > Trade Representative Offices, Macao Economic Services
- ^ "Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China in Macao Special Administrative Region". www.fmcoprc.gov.mo.
- ^ "Typical Architectures". m.cityguide.gov.mo.
- ^ "Consulado Geral de Portugal em Macau e Hong Kong". www.cgportugal.org.
- ^ Official Journal of the European Communities: Information and notices, Volume 33, Issues 134–148, Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, 1990, page 140
- ^ Wallace, Charles P. (21 July 1989). "Portugal Offers Citizenship to Many in Last Colonial Outpost : Macao, a 'Poor Relation,' Draws Envy of Hong Kong". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 3 October 2018.
- ^ Macao allows Taipei office to issue visas to Chinese, Taipei Times, 7 January 2002
- ^ MAC minister launches renamed Taiwan office in Macau,Taiwan Today, 20 July 2011
- ^ Filatelia | Macau, selo a selo, Revista Macau, 13 April 2015
- ^ Macao Magazine, November 2012, page 31
- ^ Sobre o CPSP > História, Corpo de Polícia de Segurança Pública (CPSP) da Região Administrativa Especial de Macau
- ^ Decorations, Medals and Certificates of Merit List for 2014, Government Information Bureau, 11 November 2014
- ^ The Europa Year Book, Volume 2, Taylor & Francis, 1991, page 2219
- ^ China Perspectives, Issues 33–38, C.E.F.C., 2001, page 58
- ^ Jane's All the World's Aircraft, pages 48–49
- ^ Airlines of Asia: Since 1920, Putnam, 1997, page 277
- ^ Lotus Square, Macao Government Tourism Office
- ^ Achieving the unthinkable: University of Macau in Hengqin, China Daily, August 2013
- ^ University of Macau Moves Over the China Border, The New York Times, 14 July 2013
External links
- Official website
- The Chinese garrison in Macau (in Chinese)
- Lai, Pauline Pou San. "Civil service training in the Macau Government" (Chapter 7). In: Podger, Andrew and John Wanna (editors). Sharpening the Sword of State: Building Executive Capacities in the Public Services of Asia-Pacific. ANU Press, 2016. ISBN 9781760460723 (paperback), 9781760460730 (ebook). HTML version of the chapter.