Macao Special Administrative Region: Annual Report for 2021

Summary:

Report published by the European Commission and the High-Representative for Foreign and Security Policy on 20 May 2022 concerning the latest political and economic developments in the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR), covering 2021.

Further information:

Since the handover of Macao to the People’s Republic of China in 1999, the European Union (EU) and its Member States have followed political and economic developments in the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) under the ‘one country, two systems’ principle.

The report highlights that, in 2021, the way in which the ‘one country, two systems' principle was implemented undermined the political rights and fundamental freedoms of the people of Macao.

The annual report refers in particular to the increasing challenges for Macao's media to express a broad range of views, and the practice of more and more self-censorship. The election of the Legislative Assembly of the Macao SAR which took place on 12 September had the lowest level since the handover in 1999. Before the election, for the first time, the authorities in Macao disqualified 21 candidates for not pledging allegiance to the SAR or supporting the Basic Law.

Official

European Commission: Press Release, 20/05/2022: Macao: EU report highlights increasing challenges to political rights and fundamental freedoms https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_22_3206

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