Gov’t rejects EU report as inaccurate, biased

The government has expressed strong dissatisfaction with and opposition to the European Union’s annual report on Macau, accusing the report of containing factual inaccuracies and biased comments on the city’s political and social development.

The EU published its “Macao Special Administrative Region: Annual Report for 2025” on Wednesday, covering political and economic developments in Macau during 2025.

The EU report alleges that some civil rights are “under pressure.”

In a statement issued Wednesday, the SAR Government said the report included what it described as “unfounded allegations” concerning the election of the eighth Legislative Assembly and the human rights situation in Macau.

The government said Macau has “maintained steady economic development and social stability since its return to China,” while its democratic political system and measures to safeguard residents’ well-being have continued to develop.

It also said it has promoted democracy and the rule of law and ensured that residents enjoy rights and freedoms under the law, including freedom of speech, freedom of the press and freedom of assembly.

“Comprehensive progress has also been made in safeguarding human rights in the city,” the government said.

The government called on the EU to abide by international law and the basic norms governing international relations, and urged it to stop publishing what it described as “self-styled reports” on Macau on an annual basis.

It said the EU’s practice constitutes interference in China’s internal affairs and those of the SAR.

The government also called on the EU to take what it described as an “objective and rational” view of the SAR’s development.

The latest EU report is part of the European External Action Service’s annual reporting on Macau and was published alongside its 2025 report on Hong Kong.

Echoing a similar statement, the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China in the Macao Special Administrative Region said, “Macau affairs are purely China’s internal affairs, and brook no interference from any external forces.”