Gov’t blocks proposal to add ‘PRC feature’ to Macau ID card

The Identification Department has declined a proposal to add “the People’s Republic of China” to Macau identification cards.
This was expressed in the bureau’s written reply to lawmaker Mak Soi Kun’s interpellation. Mak’s interpellation said that including “the People’s Republic of China” in Chinese characters on the Macau ID card will increase Macau residents’ sense of identity as Chinese. Mak had previously voiced the proposal during Legislative Assembly (AL) plenary meetings.
However, the bureau did not approve of Mak’s suggestion on the grounds of the Basic Law and Macau’s ethnic diversity.
According to the bureau’s explanation, the Macau ID card is different from the Macau passport. The latter contains the Chinese characters “the People’s Republic of China” because it reflects sovereignty and is issued to Macau permanent residents who are also Chinese nationals.
The bureau pointed out that in Macau, Macau ID holders include those who are Chinese, Portuguese, or of other ethnicities.
Adding the characters “the People’s Republic of China” will indeed strengthen people’s sense of identity as Chinese, but it will not for those who are not of Chinese ethnicity.
Information on the Macau ID card includes the holder’s name in Chinese, name in Portuguese, sex, their digital image, identity card number, date of birth, and date of registration. The bureau considers it inappropriate to include more information, as the ID card already has a logo that represents the PRC Macau SAR.
Lastly, the bureau said that the ID card is used only in one specific region. It is not an internationally recognized document, meaning that it is not a travel document for use outside Macau.
Despite not approving Mak’s proposal, the bureau will still perform research on how national aspects can be highlighted on Macau ID cards in future.