History of Macao

Prehistory

Objects dating from 6th front millenium J.C pertaining to the Chinese culture were discovered on the peninsula of Macao.

Empire of China

The area now called Macao formerly formed part of the province of Guangdong. During the dynasty of the southernmost Song, she was inhabited for the first time by refugees of the Mongolian invasion of 1277. During the dynasty of the Ming of the fishermen of the provinces of the Fujian and Guangdong were added to the population.

The Portuguese period

The first Portuguese arrived to China in 1513 on the island of Lintin which they claimed in the name of the king of Portugal. At the time of the following years, the Chinese authorities wanted to show their sovereignty on the area and expelled several adventurers. In 1536, following a damage, the Portuguese obtained the right to drop anchor with Haojingao. The beginning of the colony is gone back to 1553, year of the establishment of the first permanent buildings.

Macao quickly became a prosperous city. It was a natural center for the Portuguese trade with the Japan, the China, the India and the South-East Asia in general. In 1557, the Portuguese government signed an official lease with the Chinese government in exchange of an annual tribute and establishes a village. The territory remained under Chinese sovereignty however, and the Chinese citizens subjected to the Chinese law. In 1605, an attack by the fleet Dutchwoman pushed the Portuguese to build a wall around the village without the permission of China.

Macao continued to thrive until the decline of the Portuguese empire in the middle of the 17th century. It was amongst other things the center the China-Japan commercial when that was officially banished by China in 1547.

Macao was under the jurisdiction of the “Portuguese State of the Indies” (“Estado português da India”) until April 20th, 1844. Thereafter, she was recognized like a province overseas by Portugal, but not by China. In 1845, Macao was declared free Port, the Chinese elites were expelled and the Portuguese government started to tax the Chinese workmen. Independence was declared in 1849 when Portugal ceased paying tribute in China. China made assassinate the governor of Macao the same year. As reprisals, Portugal invades the island of Wanzhai, which it reassigned in China in 1887. Ultimately, Portugal took the control of the islands of Taipa and Coloane, in 1851 and 1864.

A peace treaty, the treaty of Tianjin, was signed in 1862 recognizing Portuguese sovereignty on Macao, but this treaty was never ratified by the Chinese authorities. Another treaty, the “Protocol looking at the relations between the two countries”, was signed in Lisbon in 1887. This treaty confirmed the occupation and the perpetual control of Macao by the Portuguese authorities, but without defining the borders of them. Portugal also committed itself not separating itself of Macao without the agreement of China.

Japan establishes a virtual protectorate on Macao in 1943, although Portugal was neutral at the time of the Second world war. The Japanese domination ceased in 1945.

When the communist seized the power in 1949, they did not recognize the treaty of 1887. However, they were not ready to settle the question immediately and asked the maintenance of the status quo. They took the same position relating to HongKong.

When pro-Chinese riots burst in 1966, the Portuguese government negotiated with the Chinese government to stop the flood of refugees and to put an end to the sways in the crowd. Portugal then proposed to completely yield Macao to China, offers which was refused. In 1974, after the Revolution of the eyelets in Portugal, the Portuguese government decided to grant their independence to all the colonies overseas and recognized the membership of Macao in China. China refused, once again, the load of the administration of the territory.

The retrocession

Portugal and the Popular republic of China established diplomatic relations for the first time in 1979. A joint news release signed on May 20th, 1986 required negotiations on the subject of Macao. A “joint statement on the question of Macao”, which announced the return of Macao under Chinese sovereignty on December 20th, 1999, was signed on April 13rd, 1987.

Macao is a special administrative Région today. Under the formula “a country, two systems”, Macao does not practice the socialist economic system of continental China and has an high level of autonomy, except defense foreign affairs.

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