Taiwan mulls closing Macau Office amid visa dispute

The ongoing dispute between Taiwan and Macau over the ‘One China’ principle has escalated, with Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) considering to close the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in Macau, according to The Taipei Times.

This comes after a newly-appointed TECO official was denied a visa for refusing to sign an affidavit affirming the ‘One China’ stance.

The TECO post in Macau has been vacant since July 23, when a senior official departed after more than a decade of service.

The planned successor was denied a visa due to their unwillingness to endorse the ‘One China’ policy, which the Macau government considers a legitimate and reasonable requirement.

In an earlier response, the Macau government condemned what it perceives as Taiwan’s “distortion of facts and defamation” regarding the TECO personnel rotation arrangements. Macau authorities have stressed that adherence to the ‘One China’ principle and the signing of a Letter of Commitment are necessary protocols.

The TECO in Macau was originally envisioned to be staffed by eight officials from various Taiwanese government agencies. However, only two MAC employees are currently stationed there, alongside 14 local Macau staff. In contrast, the TECO counterpart in Hong Kong is fully staffed by local personnel.

According to an unnamed official familiar with cross-strait affairs, the MAC is considering the possibility of closing the Macau representative office altogether in a ‘worst-case scenario.’ This is because the TECO would not be sustainable if new appointees are compelled to sign the ‘One China’ pledge, as cited in the report.

The potential removal of the TECO from Macau would effectively sever official ties between Taiwan and the special administrative region. The unnamed official warned that such a move would not be in Macau’s best interest. Staff Reporter