WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3297/98 by José BARROS MOURA to the Commission. Transfer of Macao to Chinese administration - troops
Date: 1998-11-09
Institutions: BARROS MOURA, European Parliament
Subjects: China, Macao, Portugal, armed forces, cooperation agreement (EU), defence policy, judicial power, local government, public order, trade agreement

15.10.1999

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 297/65

any decision it might take will take account of the answers to the social and environmental questions raised by
such a project.

(1999/C 297/085)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3297/98

by José Barros Moura (PSE) to the Commission

(9 November 1998)

Subject: Transfer of Macao to Chinese administration ’ troops

In 1975 Portugal withdrew its military forces from the territory of Macao, the size of which did not justify a
military presence. The Sino-Portuguese joint declaration grants the Central Government of the People’s
Republic of China exclusive competence in the area of defence and foreign policy, it being understood by the
two parties that no Chinese troops would be stationed there. This was confirmed in April 1997 in the
European Parliament by Mr Lu Ping in reply to my question.

Nevertheless, the Deputy Prime Minister Qian Qichen has now announced to the Preparatory Commission
meeting in Beijing that China will send troops to Macao as a symbol of sovereignty.

How does the Commission assess this fact from the point of view of the credibility of China’s commitments to
the principle of ‘one country, two systems’?

Answer given by Sir Leon Brittan on behalf of the Commission

(23 November 1998)

The Commission is aware that after having administered the enclave of Macau since 1553, the Portuguese
government decided in 1975 to withdraw its military forces from the territory. Under the terms of the Sino-
Portuguese declaration of 1987, China will resume the exercise of sovereignty over Macau from 20 December
1999. Under Article 14 of the Basic law of the Macau special administrative region of the Peoples Republic of
China, the Central Peoples Government shall be responsible for the external defence of the Macau special
administrative region. The government of Macau shall be responsible for the maintenance of internal public
order.

The Commission strongly supports the application of the ‘one country, two systems’ policy to the future
special administrative region of Macau, and will continue to co-operate closely with the territory under the
Community-Macau Trade and co-operation agreement. The Commission will carefully monitor developments
regarding the transfer of sovereignty.

In this context the Commission attaches utmost importance to the principle that law enforcement, crime
prevention and the maintenance of public order are tasks which will be the responsibility of the authorities and
the judiciary of the special administrative region. Under the Basic law these tasks cannot be the responsibility
of any Chinese military presence stationed in Macao. The only conceivable justification of such a presence
would be to deal with external threats to Macao’s security, which is not currently apparent.

(1999/C 297/086)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-3314/98

by Rijk van Dam (EDD) to the Commission

(27 October 1998)

Subject: The detained leader of the United People’s Party of Azerbaijan, Alakram Gumbatov

Is the Commission aware of the situation of the detained leader of the United People’s Party of

1.
Azerbaijan, Alakram Gumbatov, whose wife is living in the Netherlands as a refugee?

How does it view the fact that Gumbatov has been held without trial and that the criminal proceedings

2.
and the file on the case are not being disclosed to the outside world?