GEB 1305

China and the World

Lecture 6 (Part 2)

Mainland China and Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan:

Impacts of Mainland China’s Policies towards Macau

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History at Early Stage

• Dating back 4,000 to 6,000 years, evidence of human and culture had already been

discovered on the Macau Peninsula.

• The Hoklo Boat people were the first to develop Macau as a trading center for the

southern provinces.

• Yet, only after the Portuguese arrived in the 16th century, Macau developed as a major

settlement.
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Portuguese Settlement

• In 1517, Portugal's king started a diplomatic and trade mission to Guangzhou.

• Yet, the embassy was rejected by the Ming court because it:
• became less interested in new foreign relations

• was affected by reports of misbehaviour of Portuguese in other parts of China,

and
• was influenced by the Sultan of Malacca who sought Chinese assistance in
driving the Portuguese out of Malacca
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Portuguese Settlement

• In 1540s, when the Portuguese helped China eliminate costal pirates, and the
Portuguese re-established good relationship with the Ming court.

• In 1557:
• the consent for a permanent and official Portuguese trade base at Macau was
given by the Ming Court.

• the Portuguese established a permanent settlement in Macau, paying an annual

rent of 500 taels of silver
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Portuguese Settlement

• Sovereignty was retained by China; and Chinese were subject to Chinese law; however, the

territory was under the administration of Portuguese

• In 1685, Kangxi Emperor decided to allow China to trade with all foreign countries, the

privileged position enjoyed by the Portuguese in trade with China came to an end.

• Later, Britain, the Dutch Republic, France, Denmark, Sweden, the United States and Russia

came in; setting up factories and offices in Guangzhou and Macau.

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Portuguese Macau

• After Hong Kong was ceded to the British in 1842, larger ships were attracted to the deep

water port of Victoria Harbour

à the position of Macau as a major regional trading centre further declined

• Portugal declared Macau a free port so as to reverse the decline, expelling Chinese

officials and soldiers, and imposing taxes on Chinese residents.

• In 1849, the Chinese customs house was abolished and the Portuguese declared Macau's
"independence"
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Portuguese Macau
• The Protocol Respecting the Relations Between the Two Countries was signed in Lisbon in
1887
Ø China recognised the "perpetual occupation and government of Macao" by Portugal;
Ø Portugal agreed never to surrender Macau to a third party without Chinese agreement.
• Reaffirmed in the Beijing Treaty which was signed in 1887
• In l928, the Kuomintang government and the Portuguese government concluded the "Sino-
Portuguese Friendship and Trade Treaty”
Ø the treaty was unable to touch on the question related to Macau’s position
à the situation of Portuguese occupation and government of Macao remained
unchanged
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Macau and PRC

• In 1949, the Chinese Communist declared the Protocol of Lisbon to be invalid

• an "unequal treaty" imposed by foreigners on China

• Yet, Beijing was not prepared to settle the treaty question

• took a similar position on treaties related to the Hong Kong territories.

• During the communist Cultural Revolution, riots broke out in 1966 when local Chinese

and the Macau authority were in conflict, the “12-3 incident” was the most serious one.
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Macau and PRC
• In January 1967, the Portuguese Governor signed a statement of apology

• Two agreements were signed with:

• Macau's Chinese community
• Mainland China: committing the Government to compensate local Chinese community
leaders and to stop all Kuomintang activities in Macau.

• The leftists’ success in Macau encouraged them to “do the same” in Hong Kong
à riots by leftists in Hong Kong in 1967

• In 1975, Portuguese proposed to return the province back to Chinese sovereignty; yet,
China declined. 9
Macau and PRC

• In 1979, Portugal and the People's Republic of China established diplomatic relations, and
PRC acknowledged Macau as "Chinese territory under Portuguese administration."

• In 1980, the first Macau governor paid an official visit to Beijing.

• In 1986, negotiations between the Chinese and Portuguese governments on the question
of Macau commenced.

• After four rounds of talks, the Joint Declaration on the Question of Macau was signed in
1987: Macau will be returned back to Chinese sovereignty as a Special Administrative
Region on 20 December 1999.
《新聞透視》探討回歸前惡化的澳⾨治安 10
Macau and PRC
• During the transitional period, the Portuguese government would continue to be responsible for
the administration of Macau

• In 1993, the National People's Congress adopted the Basic Law of the Macau Special
Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China as the constitutional law for Macau, taking
effect on 20 December 1999.

• Under the principle of "one country, two systems", China's socialist economic system will not be
practised in Macau

• Macau will enjoy a high degree of autonomy in all matters except foreign and defence affairs until,
at least, 2049.

• European colonization of Asia ended upon the handover of Macau .

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References

• Mendes, C. A. (2013) Portugal, China and the Macau Negotiations, 1986-1999. Hong Kong:
Hong Kong University Press.

• Hao, Z. (2011) Macau: History and Society. Hong Kong : Hong Kong University Press

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