Report | Beijing parachuted group into Macau during 1990s

Wong Sio Chak

During the 1990s, Beijing handpicked a group of about 40 young graduates from across China and placed them in important government roles in Macau, according to a new report from Reuters.

Citing former officials familiar with the process, Reuters claimed that the young graduates rose through the ranks to become department heads and other important officials, all the while aligning the vision of the local government with that of Beijing.

According to Reuters, over a dozen former officials and civil servants were interviewed to corroborate the claims.

The sleeper cell was comprised of young mainland graduates who had undergone legal training and learned proficient Portuguese.

“They were given positions when they were still very young, very leading positions,” José Sales Marques, who was the territory’s mayor between 1993 and 2001, told Reuters.

Ip Song Sang

Among them is Commission Against Corruption chief, André Cheong, public prosecutor general, Ip Son Sang, and Macau’s Secretary for Security, Wong Sio Chak, who many believe may run for the chief executive job in 2019.

In a 2015 interview with the news agency, Wong said that Macau adheres to the One Country, Two Systems policy without the need for Beijing to intervene in affairs.

“The central government will not meddle or intervene but they will of course want to understand our policies and from what angle we are considering,” said Wong, adding that there is daily communication between Macau and Beijing.

Macau is regarded by the mainland government as far more obedient than its neighboring SAR, Hong Kong. The loyalty, in part, stems from the fact that almost half of Macau’s population was born in mainland China.

Its obedience, lack of political activism and weakness in the pan-democrat camp has afforded Macau certain rewards from Beijing. According to some analysts, its inclusion in the Belt and Road Initiative – entirely unnecessary in the context of Hong Kong’s participation – was intended partly as a reward and partly as a means of further diversifying the city’s economy.

On the other hand, Beijing’s official representation in the MSAR, the Liaison Office, may still be eroding the city’s autonomy at an alarming rate through its participation in the activities of local associations and political groups. One such accusation was made – and later retracted – by current lawmaker José Pereira Coutinho.

“I think Macau is losing that autonomy quite fast. I think we have lost two thirds of it in fifteen years,” an unidentified civil servant told Reuters.

“Now there is a tendency to impose self censorship [in the media and academia] to not raise the attention of the liaison office,” Bill Chou, a former professor at the University of Macau, told the news agency. Chou was fired in 2014 for his political activities.

Another unnamed official cited by Reuters said that China was upping its intervention in Macau as a result of the event unfolding in Hong Kong.

“They want to make sure the same thing doesn’t happen in Macau,” the official said.