Macau: A stop on the way to Taiwan
31 Dec, 1999 · 301
Sonika Gupta analyses the impact of the handover of Macau to China
With the handover of
Macau
, the
Peoples
Republic
of
China
moves a step closer to its eventual goal of reunification.
Macau
is the oldest colony in the world and its peaceful return to the Chinese fold after nearly 4 and half centuries of Portugese rule reaffirms the Chinese commitment to reunification. In keeping with the one- nation- two-systems principle, the Chinese government will not disturb the essentially profit- oriented economy of
Macau
. Infact, the population of
Macau
, plagued with incessant gang wars may well welcome a stricter maintenance of law and order by the new government. As in
Hong Kong
, the local administration in
Macau
too, shall be overhauled by
Beijing
, fostering a close adherence to central political directives.
Macau
is significant for broader political reasons. In fact, both
Hong Kong
and
Macau
are warm ups leading to the big event-the reunification of
Taiwan
. Though the transfer of both HK and
Macau
were peaceful and negotiated through international agreements; that they eventually became part of the PRC is significant for
China
. In both cases,
China
has displayed a pragmatic attitude by stating its an intention not to tamper with the existing economic structures. On the other hand, the issue of political control was not negotiated in HK and presumably would not be negotiated in
Macau
either. The Party is and shall remain omnipresent. Economic pragmatism is what
Beijing
offers
Taiwan
as an assurance in the event of reunification; but the political dominance of the CCP makes reunification almost an impossible choice for
Taiwan
to make.
Beijing
would like to project HK and
Macau
as examples for
Taiwan
to follow, but there can be no comparison between the different situations. HK or
Macau
never competed in the international arena to gain recognition as the “real
China
”. “Reunification” for all practical purposes would imply signing over of the national sovereignty of
Taiwan
to the PRC. The people of either HK or
Macau
did not enjoy sovereign rights. HK and
Macau
were both, expressly, colonies of the Western nations. The British, before leaving HK, hastily imported liberal-democratic institutions to the island and later raised up a hue and cry about the strangulation of the democratic rights of the people of HK when
Beijing
altered the membership of the Legislative Council in HK to suit its requirements.
Taiwan
, however, is a different story. In words of the Taiwanese President, Lee Teng-hui, “The Chinese nation was divided in 1949, when the PRC was proclaimed.
Taiwan
cannot cause national disintegration, because the Chinese nation was already divided. There is no need to warn against
Taiwan
declaring independence because the Republic of China has been sovereign and independent since its founding in 1912.” Further, “democratic development in
Taiwan
has now reached the point of no return.”
China
has always insisted that it shall keep open the option to use force in pursuing its objective of reunifying
Taiwan
. No similar proclamation was needed or made either in the case of HK or
Macau
. It is the use of uncompromising rhetoric compounded by the military exercises by
Beijing
in the
Taiwan Strait
that sets
Taiwan
apart from earlier reunifications.
Macau
is not a highly significant event in itself, it nevertheless provides
China
with another opportunity to restate its position on reunification and to demonstrate to the world that it shall continue to pursue reunification as a national objective in face of overwhelming international opposition. Though the changes taking place in HK and
Macau
are an internal matter of
China
, their effect on Chinese foreign policy would be strengthening and significant.
China
’s reunification objective lies not in making economic successes of HK and
Macau
under the one-nation-two-systems principle, but in getting support inside and outside
Taiwan
for an eventual reunification-and that would definitely not be possible under the present circumstances.
The handover of
Though the handover of
However, one must keep in mind that the people of HK were in position to object to reunification and the people of Macau seem to be in no mood to do so; but the Taiwanese are in a position to protest and have done so ever since the founding of the PRC in 1949. Therefore, the real test of
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