MACAU
Compiled from the December 2004 Background Note and supplemented with additional information from the State Department and the editors of this volume. See the introduction to this set for explanatory notes.
Official Name:
Macau Special Administrative Region
PROFILE
Geography
Area: 27.3 square kilometers total, with 8.7 sq. km. (sq. mi.) on a peninsula connected to China and the southern islands of Taipa (6.3 sq. km.) and Coloane (7.6 sq. km.) linked by bridge and causeway.
Terrain: Coastline is flat, inland is hilly and rocky.
Climate: Tropical monsoon; cool and humid in winter, hot and rainy from spring through summer.
People
Nationality: Noun—Macanese (sing. and pl.).
Population: (December 2003 est.) 448.500
Population growth rate: (2003 est.) 1.1%.
Ethnic groups: Chinese 95.7%, Portuguese 1.7%.
Religions: Buddhist 17%, Roman Catholic 7%, Christian 2%.
Languages: In 1992, the government gave the Chinese (Cantonese) language official status and the same legal force as Portuguese, the official language.
Education: Literacy 91.3%.
Work force: Manufacturing −18%; construction −8%; wholesale and retail trade −16%; hotels and restaurants −11%; financial intermediation −3%; community, social and personal services −12%.
Government
Type: Special Administrative Region (SAR) of the People's Republic of China since December 20, 1999 with its own mini-constitution (the Basic Law).
Branches: Executive—President of the People's Republic of China (head of state), Chief executive (head of government), Executive Council (cabinet). Legislative—Legislative Assembly. Judicial—Independent judicial system with a high court (the Court of Final Appeal).
Economy
GDP PPP: (2003) $8.6 billion.
GDP real growth rate: (2003) 15.6%.
Per capita GDP PPP: (2003) $19,460.
Agriculture: Products—rice and vegetables; most foodstuffs and water are imported.
Industry: Types—tourism, gambling, clothing, textiles, electronics, toys, footwear, construction, and real estate development.
Trade: (2003) Exports—$2.6 billion f.o.b.: textiles and clothing, manufactured goods (especially toys, footwear and machinery & mechanical appliances). Major markets—U.S. 50%, Hong Kong 7%, China 14%, Germany, 8%. Imports—$2.8 billion: consumer goods, foodstuffs, fuels, and raw materials. Major suppliers—China 43%, Hong Kong 13%, EU 12%, Taiwan 6%, Japan 9%
PEOPLE
Macau's population is 95.7% Chinese, primarily Cantonese and some Hakka, both from nearby Guangdong Province. The remainder are of Portuguese or mixed Chinese-Portuguese ancestry. The official languages are Portuguese and Chinese (Cantonese). English is spoken in tourist areas. Macau has ten higher education institutions, including the University of Macau; 85.5% of the University of Macau's 4,708 students are local and 14.5% from overseas.
HISTORY
Chinese records of Macau date back to the establishment in 1152 of Xiangshan County under which Macau was administered, though it remained unpopulated through most of the next century. Members of the South Sung (Song) Dynasty and some 50,000 followers were the first recorded inhabitants of the area, seeking refuge in Macau from invading Mongols in 1277. They were able to defend their settlements and establish themselves there.
The Hoklo Boat people were the first to show commercial interest in Macau as a trading center for the southern provinces. Macau did not develop as a major settlement until the Portuguese arrived in the 16th century. Portuguese traders used Macau as a staging port as early as 1516, making it the oldest European settlement in the Far East. In 1557, the Chinese agreed to a Portuguese settlement in Macau but did not recognize Portuguese sovereignty. Although a Portuguese municipal government was established, the sovereignty question remained unresolved.
Initially, the Portuguese developed Macau's port as a trading post for China-Japan trade and as a staging port on the long voyage from Lisbon to Nagasaki. When Chinese officials banned direct trade with Japan in 1547, Macau's Portuguese traders carried goods between the two countries. The first Portuguese governor was appointed to Macau in 1680, but the Chinese continued to assert their authority, collecting land and customs taxes. Portugal continued to pay rent to China until 1849, when the Portuguese abolished the Chinese customs house and declared Macau's "independence," a year which also saw Chinese retaliation and finally the assassination of Gov. Ferreira do Amaral.
On March 26, 1887, the Manchu government acknowledged the Portuguese right of "perpetual occupation." The Manchu-Portuguese agreement, known as the Protocol of Lisbon, was signed with the condition that Portugal would never surrender Macau to a third party without China's permission.
Macau enjoyed a brief period of economic prosperity during World War II as the only neutral port in South China, after the Japanese occupied Guangzhou (Canton) and Hong Kong. In 1943, Japan created a virtual protectorate over Macau. Japanese domination ended in August 1945.
When the Chinese communists came to power in 1949, they declared the Protocol of Lisbon to be invalid as an "unequal treaty" imposed by foreigners on China. However, Beijing was not ready to settle the treaty question, requesting a maintenance of "the status quo" until a more appropriate time. Beijing took a similar position on treaties relating to the Hong Kong territories.
Riots broke out in 1966 when the procommunist Chinese elements and the Macau police clashed. The Portuguese Government reached an agreement with China to end the flow of refugees from China and to prohibit all communist demonstrations. This move ended the conflict, and relations between the government and the leftist organizations have remained peaceful.
The Portuguese tried once in 1966 after the riots in Macau, and again in 1974, the year of a military revolution in Portugal, to return Macau to Chinese sovereignty. China refused to reclaim Macau however, hoping to settle the question of Hong Kong first.
Portugal and China established diplomatic relations in 1979. A year later, Gen. Melo Egidio became the first Governor of Macau to visit China. The visit underscored both parties' interest in finding a mutually agreeable solution to Macau's status; negotiations began in 1985, a year after the signing of the Sino-U.K. agreement returning Hong Kong to China in 1997. The result was a 1987 agreement returning Macau to Chinese sovereignty as a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China on December 20, 1999.
GOVERNMENT
The chief executive is appointed by China's central government after selection by an election committee, whose members are nominated by corporate bodies. The chief executive appears before a cabinet, the Executive Council (Exco), of between 7 and 11 members. The latest Exco, appointed on December 15, 2004, has ten members. The term of office of the chief executive is 5 years, and no individual may serve for more than two consecutive terms. The governor has strong policymaking and executive powers similar to those of a president. These powers are, however, limited from above by the central government in Beijing, to whom the governor reports directly, and from below (to a more limited extent) by the legislature. Edmund Ho, a community leader and banker, is the first China-appointed chief executive of the Macau SAR, having replaced General de Rocha Viera on December 20, 1999. Ho was re-appointed to a second term on September 20, 2004.
The legislative organ of the territory is the legislative Assembly, a 27-member body comprising of ten directly elected members, ten appointed members representing functional constituencies, and seven members appointed by the chief executive. The Legislative Assembly is responsible for general lawmaking, including taxation, the passing of the budget and socioeconomic legislation. In the last election, held in September 2001, pro-Entertainment industry groups won 3 of the ten directly elected seats, pro-democracy groups won two seats, while pro-China parties won four; pro-business groups took the remaining seat. The next election will be held in 2005. The city of Macau and the islands of Taipa and Coloane each have a municipal council.
The legal system is based largely on Portuguese law. The territory has its own independent judicial system, with a high court. Judges are selected by a committee and appointed by the
chief executive. Foreign judges may serve on the courts. In July 1999 the chief executive appointed a seven-person committee to select judges for the SAR. Twenty-four judges were recommended by the committee and were then appointed by Mr. Ho. Macau has three courts: the Court of the First Instance, the Court of the Second Instance, and the Court of Final Appeal, Macau's highest court. Sam Hou Fai is the President (Chief Justice) of the Court of Final Appeal.
Principal Government Officials
Last Updated: 12/10/2004
Chief Executive: Edmund HO Hau-wah
Sec. for Administration & Justice: Florinda Da Rosa Silva CHAN
Sec. for Economics & Finance: Francis TAM Pak-yuen
Sec. for Security: CHEONG Kuoc Va
Sec. for Social Affairs & Culture: Fernando CHUI Sai-on
Sec. for Transportation & Public Works: AO Man Long
Procurator Gen.: HO Chio Meng
Pres., Court of Final Appeal: SAM Hou Fai
Pres., Legislative Council: Susana CHOU
Commissioner, Audit: Fatima Mei-lei CHOI
Commissioner, Independent Commission Against Corruption: CHEONG U
ECONOMY
Macau's economy is based largely on tourism, including gambling, and textile and garment manufacturing. Efforts to diversify have spawned other small industries, such as footwear, and machinery and mechanical appliances. The clothing industry has provided about three-fourths of export earnings, and the gambling industry is estimated to contribute more than 40% of GDP. The opening of the gambling sector since 2002 has led to significant new investment in casinos, hotel and related facilities. More than 11.8 million tourists visited Macau in 2003. The recent growth in gambling and tourism has been driven primarily by mainland Chinese and tourists from Hong Kong.
Macau depends on China for most of its food, fresh water, and energy imports. The European Union and Hong Kong are the main suppliers of raw materials and capital goods.
Over the longer term, the relocation of manufacturing operations from Macau to the neighboring Chinese province of Guangdong will extend to textiles and garment production as China's entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO) gives the mainland increased direct access to international markets. Mainland competition, along with the phasing out of Multi-Fiber Arrangement (MFA) quotas, which provide a near guarantee of export markets, over the next few years, will eventually spell the end of Macau's low-end mass production of textiles, which comprise the bulk of the SAR's merchandise export earnings. The best opportunities may lie in providing services—shipping, finance, legal—to facilitate mainland exports through Macau to the rest of the world, and conversely inflows of goods and investment to the mainland. Gambling tourism is also an important area of potential economic growth and foreign-exchange earnings.
FOREIGN RELATIONS
Macau's foreign relations and defense are the responsibility of China. China has, however, granted Macau considerable autonomy in economic and commercial relations.
Principal U.S. Embassy Officials
HONG KONG (M) Address: 26 Garden Road, Central; APO/FPO: AmConGen Hong Kong, PSC 461, Box 1, FPO AP 96521; Phone: (852) 2523-9011; Fax: (852) 2845-1598; Workweek: 0830-1730; Website: USCONSULATE.ORG.HK
| AMB: |
James R. Keith |
| AMB OMS: |
Josephine M. Schaefer |
| DCM: |
Marlene J. Sakaue |
| DCM OMS: |
Linda M. Mason-Witt |
| POL: |
Simon J. Schuchat |
| CON: |
Richard F. Gonzalez |
| MGT: |
Lewis R. Atherton |
| AFSA: |
Nathaniel S. Turner |
| ATO: |
Lloyd S. Harbert |
| CLO: |
Jennifer A. Eckert |
| CUS: |
Thomas J. Howe |
| DAO: |
George T. Foster |
| DEA: |
Thomas Ma |
| ECO: |
Simon J. Schuchat |
| EEO: |
Michael Pascual |
| FCS: |
Stewart J. Ballard |
| FMO: |
Laurence A. Rigg |
| GSO: |
Raymond J. Kengott |
| ICASS Chair: |
Lloyd S. Harbert |
| IMO: |
Janifer K. Sulaiman |
| IPO: |
Elaine S. Tiang-Chu |
| ISO: |
Wenyi Shu |
| LEGATT: |
Kingman K. Wong |
| PAO: |
Richard W. Stites |
| RSO: |
Martin Chu |
| Last Updated: 1/4/2005 |
TRAVEL
Consular Information Sheet
November 12, 2004
Country Description: Macau, formerly a Chinese territory under Portuguese administration, became a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of the People's Republic of China (PRC) on December 20, 1999, with a high degree of autonomy, except in the areas of defense and foreign policy. Macau retains its own currency, laws, and border controls. Facilities for tourism are well developed. Gambling, tourism, and textile and apparel manufacturing are the major sectors in Macau's economy. With a population of approximately 442,000, Macau covers a 26.8 square-kilometer area including the peninsula of Macau, connected to the PRC, and the two islands of Taipa and Coloane linked by a highway 2.2 km long.
Entry/Exit Requirements: Valid passports are required. Passports should be valid for 30 days beyond the intended period of stay in Macau. Because many neighboring areas require six months validity remaining on the passport, U.S. citizens planning travel beyond Macau should ensure that their passports are valid for at least six months from the date of their proposed entry into such areas. A visa is not required for tourist visits of up to 30 days.
For further information on entry requirements, contact the Embassy of the People's Republic of China, Room 110, 2201 Wisconsin Avenue, N.W., Washington D.C. 20007; tel (202) 338-6688; fax (202) 588-9760; e-mail chnvisa@bellatlantic.net; website http://www.china-embassy.org, or the Consulates General of the PRC in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, New York City and Houston.
Travelers may also consult the Macau Tourist Information Bureau's U.S. representative office at 5757 West Century Boulevard, Suite 660, Los Angeles, CA 90045-6407, tel (310) 568-0009 or fax (310) 338-0708. See also the Macau Government home page at http://www.macau.gov.mo.
Holders of a Hong Kong Permanent Identity Card may use the Hong Kong Permanent Identity Card to enter Macau for a maximum stay of one (1) year. U.S. citizens who do not hold a Hong Kong Permanent Identity Card must present their U.S. passport to enter Macau. See our Foreign Entry Requirements brochure for more information on Macau and other countries. Visit the Embassy of the People's Republic of China website for the most current visa information.
Safety and Security: For the latest security information, Americans traveling abroad should regularly monitor the Department's Internet website at http://travel.state.gov where the current Worldwide Caution Public Announcement, Travel Warnings and Public Announcements can be found.
Crime: Petty street crime occasionally occurs in tourist areas in Macau, including in and around casinos.
Information for Victims of Crime: The loss or theft abroad of a U.S. passport should be reported immediately to the local police and the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. If you are the victim of a crime while overseas, in addition to reporting to local police, please contact the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate for assistance. The Embassy/Consulate staff can, for example, assist you to find appropriate medical care, to contact family members or friends and explain how funds could be transferred. Although the investigation and prosecution of the crime is solely the responsibility of local authorities, consular officers can help you to understand the local criminal justice process and to find an attorney if needed. See our information on Victims of Crime at http://travel.state.gov/travel/brochure_victim_assistance.html.
Medical Facilities and Health Information: Several major hospitals in Macau have adequate medical facilities and are able to provide emergency medical care. The Macau government provides a telephone list of hospitals and health centers accessible at http://www.cityguide.gov.mo/phone/phone_e.asp?cat=6. Highly developed medical facilities and trained personnel are available in Hong Kong, which is about an hour by jetfoil and ten minutes by helicopter from Macau.
Information on vaccinations and other health precautions, such as safe food and water precautions and insect bite protection, may be obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's hotline for international travelers at 1-877 FYI-TRIP (1-877-394-8747); fax 1-888-CDC-FAXX (1-888-232-3299), or via the CDC's Internet site at http://www.cdc.gov/travel.
Medical Insurance: The Department of State strongly urges Americans to consult with their medical insurance company prior to traveling abroad to confirm whether their policy applies overseas and whether it will cover emergency expenses such as a medical evacuation.
Traffic Safety and Road Conditions: While in a foreign country, U.S. citizens may encounter road conditions that differ significantly from those in the United States. The information below concerning Macau is provided for general reference only, and may not be totally accurate in a particular location or circumstance.
Traffic moves on the left in Macau, and roads are narrow and winding. Traffic is generally congested throughout the day. Taxis are plentiful and inexpensive, as are public buses.
For specific information concerning Macau driving permits, vehicle inspection, road tax and mandatory insurance, contact the Macau Tourist Information Bureau's U.S. representative office at 5757 W. Century Boulevard, Suite 660, Los Angeles, California 90045-6407; tel (310) 568-0009; fax (310) 338-0708), or the Macau Transport Department (Comissariado de Transito de Macau), Ave Sidonio Pais, Macau; tel (853) 374-214; fax (853) 522-966; website http://www.iacm.gov.mo. Visit the website of the country's national tourist office and national authority responsible for road safety at http://www.iacm.gov.mo.
Aviation Safety Oversight: As there is no direct commercial air service between the United States and Macau, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has not assessed Macau's Civil Aviation Authority for compliance with ICAO international aviation safety standards. For more information, travelers may visit the FAA's internet website at http://www.faa.gov/avr/iasa/index.cfm.
Special Circumstances: The official languages in the Macau SAR are Chinese and Portuguese. English, however, is spoken in tourist areas. There are no currency restrictions for tourists in Macau. Although the pataca is the official currency in Macau, Hong Kong currency is commonly used in transactions, especially in tourist areas. Travelers visiting Macau from Hong Kong may wish to bring sufficient Hong Kong dollars to cover their expenses. Credit cards and ATM network debit cards are widely accepted in Macau. Banks and major hotels accept traveler's checks.
Macau customs authorities may enforce strict regulations concerning temporary importation into or export from Macau of items such as firearms, ivory, certain categories of medications, and other goods. It is advisable to contact the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Washington D.C. or one of the PRC's consulates in the United States at the addresses noted above, or the Macau Customs Service, Rua S. Tiago da Barra, Doca D. Carlos I, SW, Barra-Macau, tel (853) 559-944 or fax (853) 371-136 for specific information regarding customs requirements.
In many countries around the world, counterfeit and pirated goods are widely available. Transactions involving these products, such as watches, compact discs, computer software and clothing, are illegal and bringing them back to the United States may result in forfeitures and/or fines. A current list of those countries with serious problems in this regard can be found at www.ustr.gov/reports/2003/special301.htm.
Under the nationality law of the PRC, persons of Chinese descent who were born in the PRC, including Macau, are PRC citizens. However, under an agreement between the United States and the People's Republic of China, all U.S. citizens entering Macau on their U.S. passports, including such persons as may be considered PRC nationals by the PRC authorities, are considered U.S. citizens by the Macau SAR authorities for purposes of ensuring U.S. consular access and protection during their initial legal stay of up to 30 days in Macau.
Dual national residents or former residents of Macau who wish to ensure U.S. consular access and protection after the initial 30-day period of visa-free admission into Macau should declare their U.S. nationality to the Macau Immigration Department upon arrival. Dual-national residents of Macau who enter Macau on travel documents other than their U.S. passports and who desire U.S. consular protection should declare their U.S. nationality as soon as possible after entry. This "declaration of change of nationality" will ensure U.S. consular protection. It will also result in loss of one's PRC nationality (but not necessarily one's right of abode). Whereas failure to declare U.S. nationality may jeopardize U.S. consular protection, such failure will not jeopardize one's U.S. citizenship.
Dual nationals contemplating onward travel into mainland China should be attentive to use of their U.S. passports. Dual nationals who enter or depart mainland China using a U.S. passport and a valid PRC visa retain the right of U.S. consular access and protection under the U.S.PRC Consular Convention.
The ability of the U.S. Embassy or Consulates General to provide normal consular services would be extremely limited should a dual national enter mainland China on a Macau SAR or other non-U.S. passport
In addition to being subject to all Macau SAR laws affecting U.S. citizens, dual nationals may be subject to laws of Macau that impose special obligations on Macau citizens. For additional information, see Law and Policy, Citizenship and Nationality on the Internet at http://travel.state.gov for information on dual nationality.
During the storm season (July through September), Macau Observatory (Direccao dos Servicos Meteorologicos e Geofisicos) issues typhoon warnings on an average of six times a year. Macau Observatory has a good notification and monitoring system in place. Please consult Macau Observatory's website at http://www.smg.gov.mo for further information. General information about natural disaster preparedness is available via the Internet from the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) at http://www.fema.gov/.
Criminal Penalties: While in a foreign country, a U.S. citizen is subject to that country's laws and regulations, which sometimes differ significantly from those in the United States and may not afford the protections available to the individual under U.S. law. Penalties for breaking the law can be more severe than in the United States for similar offences. Persons violating Macau's laws, even unknowingly, may be expelled, arrested or imprisoned. Penalties for possession, use, or trafficking in illegal drugs in Macau are severe, and convicted offenders can expect long jail sentences and heavy fines. Engaging in illicit sexual conduct with children or using or disseminating child pornography in a foreign country is a crime, prosecutable in the United States.
Children's Issues: For information on international adoption of children and international parental child abduction, see the Office of Children's Issues website at http://travel.state.gov/family/index.html.
Registration/Embassy Location: Americans living or traveling in Macau are encouraged to register with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate through https://travelregistration.state.gov, and to obtain updated information on travel and security within Macau. There is no U.S. diplomatic or consular presence in Macau. Consular assistance for U.S. citizens is provided by the U.S. Consulate General in Hong Kong, 26 Garden Road, Central, Hong Kong; tel (852) 2523-9011 or (852) 2841-2211; fax (852) 2845-4845; e-mail acshnk@yahoo.com; website http://www.hongkong.usconsulate.gov.
International Parental Child Abduction
January 2005
The information below has been edited from the report of the State Department Bureau of Consular Affairs, Office of Overseas Citizens Services. For more information, please read the International Parental Child Abduction section of this book and review current reports online at travel.state.gov
Disclaimer: The information in this circular relating to the legal requirements of a specific foreign country is provided for general information only. Questions involving interpretation of specific foreign laws should be addressed to foreign legal counsel.
General Information: The Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction (the "Hague Convention") came into force between the United States and Macau on March 1, 1999. Therefore, Hague Convention provisions for return would apply to children abducted or retained after March 1, 1999. Parents and legal guardians of children taken to Macau prior to March 1, 1999, may still submit applications for access to the child under the Hague Convention in some cases.
Legal Counsel: You will require an attorney to file the Hague application with the court and to represent your interests in hearings on your application. You will usually be required to give evidence as to the circumstances of your child's removal or retention, usually in the form of a sworn statement or affidavit. Under the Convention, Macau is not obligated to pay for or in any way assume any costs resulting from court proceedings. Legal assistance is available. Qualification for assistance is based on economic need. Information regarding qualification for legal assistance may be obtained from the Macau Central Authority office.
Time Frame: Enforcement of a decision for return under the Hague Convention may take several months from the time the application is filed. It is important to remember that the Macau legal system differs from that in the United States. How the court considers the case, and how and when it issues its decision, will vary from region to region as well as from case to case. The Macau courts give Hague Convention matters priority, but scheduling is still dependent on court availability. You should consult your Macau attorney for an assessment of the procedure and anticipated delays in that country.
Appeals: Decisions on Hague applications may be appealed by either party, which may further delay enforcement of a decision. You should consult directly with your Macau attorney regarding appeal procedures.
Criminal Remedies: For information on possible criminal remedies, please contact your local law enforcement authorities or the nearest office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Information is also available on the Internet at the web site of the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention at http://www.ojjdp.ncjrs.org. Please note that criminal charges may complicate a Hague Convention case. Contact the country officer in the Office of Children's Issues for specific information.
