The Handover of Macau was the transfer of sovereignty and administrative authority over the territory of Macau from the Portuguese Republic to the People’s Republic of China (PRC). The handover took place at midnight on 20 December 1999, ending 442 years of Portuguese rule that began in 1557.
Background
- Early Portuguese presence – Portuguese merchants first settled in Macau in 1557 during the Ming dynasty. Over the following centuries the settlement was governed under varying degrees of Portuguese administration.
- Treaties and legal status – Portugal’s claim to Macau was formally recognised by the Qing dynasty in 1749. The 1887 Sino‑Portuguese Treaty of Peking granted Portugal “perpetual colonial rights” to the territory, though China retained ultimate sovereignty.
- Post‑World‑War II developments – After the establishment of the PRC in 1949 and its assumption of China’s United Nations seat in 1971, the PRC sought removal of Macau (and Hong Kong) from the UN list of non‑self‑governing territories, preferring bilateral negotiations for their return.
Decolonisation and Negotiations
- Carnation Revolution (1974) – A left‑wing coup in Portugal led to a transition to liberal democracy and a policy of decolonisation. The new Portuguese government initially proposed an immediate handover of Macau, which the PRC rejected, citing concerns over the impact on Hong Kong.
- Withdrawal of Portuguese forces – By 31 December 1975 the Portuguese military had withdrawn from Macau.
- Recognition of status – In 1976 both Portugal and the PRC recognised Macau as a “Chinese territory under Portuguese supervision.” Diplomatic relations between Portugal and the PRC were established in February 1979.
- Sino‑Portuguese Joint Declaration (1987) – On 13 April 1987 the two governments signed the Joint Declaration, agreeing that Macau would become a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of the PRC on 20 December 1999 under the “one‑country, two‑systems” principle.
Transfer Ceremony
- Midnight handover – The formal ceremony occurred at the Macau Government Headquarters at 00:00 (UTC+08:00) on 20 December 1999. Flags of Portugal and China were lowered and raised respectively, and the sovereignty of the territory was officially transferred to the PRC.
Aftermath and Significance
- Special Administrative Region – Following the handover, Macau became a Special Administrative Region of the PRC, retaining a high degree of autonomy, its own legal system, and economic policies, including the continuation of its gambling industry.
- End of European colonial rule in Asia – The handover marked the conclusion of over four centuries of Portuguese colonial presence in Asia, paralleling the 1997 transfer of Hong Kong from the United Kingdom to China.
- One‑Country, Two‑Systems – Macau’s post‑handover governance has been cited as a practical application of the “one‑country, two‑systems” framework, intended to preserve the region’s social and economic systems while integrating it into the PRC’s sovereign territory.
The Handover of Macau is regarded as a key event in the late‑20th‑century decolonisation of Asia and in the development of China’s contemporary territorial and administrative policies.
