Overstayed welcome

Xi lands in Macau for handover anniversary

CHINESE President Xi Jinping landed in Macau on Wednesday as the city prepares to mark 20 years since the former Portuguese colony was returned, a celebration that stands in stark contrast to months of unrest in neighbouring Hong Kong.

Security has been ramped up ahead of Xi’s three-day visit which culminates on Friday’s anniversary.

China’s leadership is keen to showcase Macau as a successful example of its “one country, two systems” model, with party leaders heaping praise on a city of 700,000 that has grown rich.

“The Chinese people and the central government are proud of the achievements and progress Macau has made in the past 20 years since its return to the motherland,” Xi said on arrival at the city’s airport, a troupe of school children waving Chinese and Macau flags behind him.

Since the 1999 handover by Lisbon, Macau has witnessed little of the violence that has exploded in Hong Kong during six months of protests. And like Hong Kong, it maintains its own currency, judiciary and the free market.

Meanwhile, limited details have been released by authorities on Xi’s schedule. He will meet local leaders and attend a dinner and a cultural performance on Thursday. The following day Xi will preside over the inauguration of the city’s new leader Ho Iat-seng.

A former member of China’s top lawmaking body, Ho won the race to become chief executive – a position that is chosen by a 400-member committee.

Bunting and banners hailing the anniversary were erected across the city, including on some of the

casinos that serve as the territory’s lifeblood.

Security has been dramatically tightened ahead of Xi’s visit. Police set up checkpoints and extra screenings for passenger arrivals while authorities said some major roads would be closed.

The cit y’s f irst lig ht ra i l line a n nou nced it wou ld shut down for t he duration, just a week after it was f irst opened to the public while the airport sa id some f l ig hts would be rescheduled.

Security checks were also ramped up in Hong Kong’s ferry terminals and on a huge bridge and tunnel system linking the two cities.

Since last week police from mainland China have been manning a newly created checkpoint on an artificial island that links the bridge and tunnel system between Hong Kong, Macau and Zhuhai, the first time they have done so.

Multiple journalists with Hong Kong passports working for local and international media have been denied entry to Macau in the run-up to the anniversary while a group of lawmakers were denied permission to board a ferry on Wednesday.

Earlier this month the president and chairman of Hong Kong’s American Chamber of Commerce were also denied entry to Macau without explanation.

A 34-year-old local who regularly travels to Hong Kong said: “It is peaceful here because Macau people don’t protest.”

But he said there was anger about t he limited t ra nspor t i n f r a st r uc t u re a nd s e vere overcrowding, even t hough t he population had become wealthier.

Macau’s sk yline and economy have cha nged beyond recognition since four centuries of Portuguese rule ended in 1999, wit h glittering casinos the backbone of the cit y’s dramatic rise.

As the only place in China where gambling is allowed, Macau’s gross domestic product (GDP) has soared from $6.4 billion in 1999 to more than $55 billion.

Per capita GDP is the third highest in t he world behind Lu xembou rg a nd Sw it z erland, according to t he Internat iona l Monet a r y Fu nd, while its casinos now ra ke in each week t he sa me as Las Vegas makes in a month.

However, Macau has grown rich and been politica lly stable in the 20 years of Chinese r ule.