Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) yesterday landed in Macau as the territory prepares to mark 20 years since the former Portuguese colony was returned to China, a celebration that stands in stark contrast with months of unrest in neighboring Hong Kong.
Security has been ramped up ahead of Xi’s three-day visit, which culminates on tomorrow’s anniversary.
China’s authoritarian leadership is eager to showcase Macau as a successful example of its “one country, two systems” model, with party leaders heaping praise on a pliant territory of 700,000 that has grown rich on gambling and deference to authoritarian rule.
Photo: Bloomberg
Since the 1999 handover by Lisbon, Macau has witnessed little of the dissent that has exploded in Hong Kong during six months of often violent pro-democracy protests as large chunks of the population seethes under Beijing’s rule.
Limited details have been released regarding Xi’s schedule.
Today, he is to meet local leaders, and attend a dinner and a cultural performance. Tomorrow, Xi is to preside over the inauguration of incoming Macanese chief executive Ho Iat Seng (賀一誠).
Ho won a one-horse race this summer to become chief executive — a position that is chosen by a 400-member committee stacked with Beijing loyalists.
Security has been tightened ahead of Xi’s visit to a territory that long ago passed mainland-style anti-sedition laws.
Police set up checkpoints and extra screenings for passenger arrivals, while authorities said that some major roads would see closures.
The territory’s first light rail line announced that it would shut down for the duration, just a week after Macau Light Rapid Transit was first opened to the public, while Macau International Airport said that some flights would be rescheduled.
Security checks were also increased in Hong Kong’s ferry terminals and on the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macau Bridge linking the two territories.
Authorities in Macau routinely deny the few requests that are made to hold rallies and the territory’s more authoritarian streak has been on display in the run-up to the anniversary, as multiple journalists with Hong Kong passports working for local and international media have been denied entry, while a group of pro-democracy lawmakers were denied permission to board a ferry yesterday.
“It’s totally one country, one system,” a 34-year-old local who regularly travels to Hong Kong said, adding that protesting in Macau is “pointless and dangerous.”
“The reason it looks like it’s working well is because Macau people don’t protest,” he added.
However, he said that there was local anger about the wealth of the territory’s elites, the limited transport infrastructure and severe overcrowding, even though the population have become wealthier.
Macau’s skyline and economy have changed beyond recognition since four centuries of Portuguese rule ended in 1999, with glittering casinos the backbone of the territory’s dramatic rise.
As the only place in China where gambling is allowed, Macau’s GDP has soared from US$6.4 billion in 1999 to more than US$55 billion.
Per capita GDP is the third-highest in the world behind Luxembourg and Switzerland, according to the IMF, while its casinos rake in each week the same as Las Vegas makes in a month.
However, while Macau has grown rich and been politically stable in the 20 years of Chinese rule, it has many vulnerabilities.
Much of the territory’s wealth is concentrated in the hands of a small elite and all of its economic chips are in the gambling basket, which still accounts for 80 percent of government revenue.
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