Beijing green lights sea waters jurisdiction

Authorities announced last night that Beijing has finally granted legal rights to Macau to manage activities in its surrounding sea area, as well as providing a clear mapping of the land.
A marine area of 85 square kilometers around the region will come under local control following an official grant that will be effective from next Sunday, said O Lam, who heads the chief executive’s office, in a press conference at the government headquarters.
“In response to the economic development of Macau, it’s necessary to make applications to the central government if the local government wants reclamation,” she explained, while stressing the need to obtain a green light from the state over the expansion of the SAR’s territory.
The specifics of the boundary markings will only be available on the day of the official announcement.
The Secretary for Security, Wong Sio Chak, who also serves as the acting head of the Macau Customs Service, said that his cabinet was prepared to meet all the demands accompanying the new policy
in terms of personnel deployment and the provision of hardware equipment.
The new marine rights ownership will lead to necessary revisions to regulations and international treaties, according to Wong Soi Man, director of the Marine and Water Bureau.
The major three administrative laws subject to future amendments involve: the clarification of the traffic in waterways contained within the new territory demarcation; the problems associated with dredging in the new territory; and the regulation outlining the public department’s service.
In December last year, the Chinese president, Xi Jinping, disclosed his intention to let the region manage its surrounding waters. He made this declaration while visiting Macau on an occasion marking 15 years since the region’s return to Chinese
sovereignty.