Macao Special Administrative Region Research Articles

The epidemiological characteristics of HBV susceptibility in 1-29 years old young people in China in 2006 and 2014: based on the national sero-survey data analysis

Objective: To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of HBV susceptible people in 1-29 years old people in 2006 and 2014 in China. Method: Data is from the 2006 and 2014 national sero-survey, and both of them were conducted in 160 disease surveillance points of 31 provinces (excluding Hong Kong, Macao Special Administrative Region and Taiwan province) in China. We used the centralized face-to face investigation method to collect basic information including birth date, gender, ethnicity, resident place, hepatitis B vaccination (HepB) history and so on, and 5 ml venous blood was collected for all subjects to test the sero-markers of HBsAg, anti-HBs and anti-HBc. We definite the HBV susceptible people as the HBsAg, anti-HBs and anti-HBc all negative together. And we use chi-square to analyze the epidemiological characteristics of HBV susceptibility in 1-29 years old young people in 2006 and 2014, and use multiple factors logistic regression to analyze the affect factors on HBV susceptible appearing in people with HepB vaccination. Result: In 2006 and 2014 sero-surveys, the investigated 1-29 year-old people were 49 849 and 31 713, respectively. And compared with 2006, the proportion of HBV susceptible people with HepB among 1-29 in 2014 increased from 20.87% (10 401) to 28.55% (9 055) (χ(2)=630.69, P<0.001); and the proportion of susceptible people without HepB decreasing from 15.02% (7 485) to 7.66% (2 460) (χ(2)=953.73, P<0.001). Compared with Han nationality, the high risk of susceptible appearing in minority people after HepB vaccination (OR=1.38). And compared with less than 3 doses HepB vaccination, the more than 3 doses vaccination could reduce the anti-HBs disappearing rate (OR=0.68); Compared with one year after last dose vaccination, the 2-4 years interval (OR=3.33) and more than 5 years interval (OR=6.53) would have high risk for anti-HBs disappearing. All above were P<0.001. In western area, the proportion of susceptible people without HepB (9.58%, 1 047/2 460) was higher than the proportion in eastern (6.30%, 657/2 460) and middle area (7.30%, 756/2 460) (P<0.001). Conclusion: The HepB coverage maintained in high level in 1-4 years old children. The HBV susceptible proportion mainly concentrated in 15-29 years old people, and the immunization gap was in western, rural areas and minority peoples.

Comparative grand corruption and protection pacts among elites: the cases of Ao Man Long in Macao and Hui Si-Yan in Hong Kong

ABSTRACTAlthough Transparency International has consistently ranked the governments of both the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and Macao Special Administrative Region (MSAR), both under the sovereignty of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), much higher on the clean governance scale than the PRC itself, the reality is that the two special administrative regions witnessed two prominent cases of political corruption comparable to the mainland corruption. These were the Ao Man Long case in Macao and the Rafael Hui Si-yan scandal in Hong Kong. This paper examines the two cases of political corruption in both Macao and Hong Kong and makes comparisons and contrasts between them. It argues that individual greed contributed to the two cases of high-level bureaucratic (grand) corruption in Macao and Hong Kong, implying that institutional safeguards against corruption, such as the establishment of anti-corruption commissions, and the scrutiny of the mass media, are by no means adequate. In other words, institutional mechanisms against corruption in the HKSAR and MSAR do have loopholes that need to be plugged. Moreover, protection pacts between a minority of government officials and the business elites can be formed because of their close personal connections, strengthening the possibility of grand corruption.

Degradation of di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) by an indigenous isolate Acinetobacter sp. SN13

A bacterial strain capable of degrading di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) from the artificially contaminated water (with over 90% removal within 5 days of incubation) was isolated from the activated sludge obtained from a regional wastewater treatment plant in Macau Special Administrative Region, China. The isolate was identified as Acinetobacter sp. SN13 by the 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. Two major experimental parameters, temperature (25, 30, 35 °C) and pH (3–9), were further optimized to enhance the biodegradation efficiency for DEHP. The optimal temperature was 30 °C while there were no significant differences for the pH range tested, 6–9 (p = 0.87). The growth kinetics of this indigenous isolate on DEHP followed the inhibition model, with the maximum degradation rate, the half saturation constant, and the inhibition constant of 124.8 mg l−1 day−1, 272.3 mg l−1, and 720.5 mg l−1, respectively. The inhibition model for the specific growth rate was also simulated using Matlab software, and the respective maximum specific growth rate, half saturation constant, and inhibition constant were 0.1192 day−1, 137.6 mg l−1, and 850.3 mg l−1. The highest degradation rate was achieved when the initial concentration of DEHP was 400 mg l−1. Ferric ion (Fe3+ at 100–1000 μg l−1) showed the stimulatory effect on the DEHP biodegradation, while Mn2+ stimulated the biodegradation at lower concentrations (100 μg l−1) but inhibited at higher concentrations (500–1000 μg l−1). The respective DEHP degradation pathway for the isolate is also proposed by the identification of the following intermediates: mono-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP), phthalic acid (PA), protocatechuate, β-carboxy-cis,cis-muconic acid, and 3-katoadipate.

A study of Macao tertiary students’ language attitudes after the handover

ABSTRACTThis study investigates Macao tertiary students’ language attitudes under the dynamic interplay of local, national, and global forces. The Portuguese established their settlement at Macao during the mid-sixteenth century and their colonial rule over Macao during the mid-nineteenth century. Macao's sovereignty was transferred to China at midnight on 19 December 1999 and the Macao Special Administrative Region was created. The push and pull between decolonisation, renationalisation, and globalisation are discernible in Macao people's language attitudes. A questionnaire survey was conducted in 2012 among freshmen of the University of Macau to investigate their attitudes towards Cantonese, Putonghua, English, and Portuguese. Results show that in terms of their integrative orientation to the four languages, students display the most integrative feelings to Cantonese, followed by English. Putonghua and Portuguese are ranked third and last. In terms of their instrumental orientation to the four languages, students give the highest rating to English, followed by Cantonese and Putonghua. Portuguese receives the lowest rating. Significant differences are found among students’ attitudes towards the four languages.

People's Republic of China-Macao Special Administrative Region: 2016 Article IV Consultation-Press Release; and Staff Report

This 2016 Article IV Consultation highlights that the real output for Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) is expected to contract for a third consecutive year in 2016. However, external demand has begun to recover with gaming revenues posting six consecutive months of positive annual growth. In 2017, a low base will help increase growth above 2 percent despite continued weak domestic demand. Further out, Macao SAR is well-positioned to record sustainable growth in the mid-single digits. In addition to its still highly valuable gaming monopoly within China, Macao SAR is an established tourist destination with significant geographic proximity to Mainland China. Macao SAR is now also investing aggressively in non-gaming tourism and financial services.

Surrogacy in Greater China: The Legal Framework in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macao, and Mainland China

Nowadays surrogacy contracts are becoming increasingly more frequent all over the world. Nonetheless, the complex juridical and ethical issues involved raise relevant doubts in legal orders. This article focuses on legislation regarding surrogacy in China and Taiwan. Due to its special state structure, legislative attitudes towards surrogacy are different in Taiwan, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Macao Special Administrative Region and the Chinese Mainland. Although surrogacy is only expressly allowed in Hong Kong, surrogacy contracts are also used in other jurisdictions, even if they “exist” in a grey area. This article will give a brief introduction about surrogacy legislation in these four regions in China and reveal the differences amongst them, many of which are due to the cultural specificities of each territory.

Explaining urban economic governance: The City of Macao

This paper traces the root causes of the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) government's inability to regulate the city's major economic issues. This regulatory deficiency can be partly attributed to the city's 500years of Portuguese colonial rule, although some of the problems have been caused by the casino boom, which began with the liberalization of Macao's gaming industry, and the government's failure to cope with ensuing dramatic changes. From a historical and institutional perspective, the author illustrates and analyzes the dynamic relationship between economic regulation and urban politics on a rapidly growing urban island facing various governance challenges.

Sports–Politics Puzzle in China’s Macau

Sports serve politics through three major means: diplomacy, national identity/unity and regime legitimacy. This paper shows that sports, to a great extent, cannot serve Macau politics in meeting the three social purposes of sports mentioned above. Although mega events can serve the purposes of diplomacy that are conducive to improving Macau’s external relationships and international image, they are counter-productive to the Macau people’s sense of belonging to the region as well as to the legitimacy of the Macau Special Administrative Region (MSAR) regime. Nevertheless, sports have their political function in the unique MSAR political system as well, creating an arena for political power in Macau, primarily because political elites compete for the support of sports associations in political elections. Due to the special setting of Macau’s political system, sports associations have the right to select representatives for the legislature as well as to elect the MSAR’s Chief Executive. This results in collusion between politicians and sports associations.

Two Tales of China’s Sport Diplomacy: Post-Handover Hong Kong and Macau Special Administrative Regions Compared

The resumption of China’s sovereignty over Hong Kong and Macau did not put an end to the territories’ historic international connections. As special administrative regions (SARs), they have remained active and visible in different global sporting arenas, except for one remarkable aspect – their niche in China’s multilateral sport diplomacy. Whereas Macau has been leveraged by the Chinese authorities to fortify ties with the Lusophone world, best exemplified in the Lusophony Games inaugurated in 2006, which the former Portuguese colony has participated in at every opportunity, Hong Kong has severed its ties with the Commonwealth Games entirely since handover and, driven by a desire to brand itself a global city hosting mega-sporting events, has attended only regional and global games of largely ‘depoliticized’ natures. This paper traces and explains the divergent development in view of China’s foreign policy and the political dynamics between Beijing and the two SARs, and argues that it was Beijing’s relations with the colonial powers and its foreign policy agendas that resulted in the different post-handover global sporting paths. The findings suggest the inextricably political nature of sporting games and reveal how inter-state diplomacy comes to shape the sporting development of cities like the two SARs.

Enhanced simultaneous removal of MTBE and TCE mixture by Paracoccus sp. immobilized on waste silica gel

Contamination of groundwater with the gasoline additive methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) is often accompanied by the coexistence of chlorinated aliphatic contaminants such as trichloroethylene (TCE). This study reports for the first time an indigenous Paracoccus sp. using MTBE as a sole carbon source while cometabolizing TCE from the mixture. The culture was originally enriched and isolated from the sludge sample at a regional wastewater treatment plant in Macau Special Administrative Region (SAR), China. Waste silica gel was used as a matrix for the microbial immobilization. The effects of different concentrations of MTBE and TCE on the removal efficiencies were investigated, together with their interactions during the bioremoval process, as well as the effects of pH and temperature on MTBE and TCE removal rates. The adsorption kinetics of contaminants on silica gel was also evaluated and the adsorption capacities of MTBE (50 mg l−1) and TCE (50 mg l−1) were 0.42 mg g−1 and 0.65 mg g−1, respectively. In the immobilized system, TCE (20 mg l−1) was removed to non-detectable level while the highest removal efficiency for MTBE (40 mg l−1) was 70.2 ± 3.1%.

Macau’s legal identity

Purpose– The Macau Special Administrative Region (MSAR) of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) has a unique identity. This study is based on a long period of research undertaken between 1995 and 2014. Permanent residents, the Chinese of Macau and all other MSAR residents constitute a body of model “citizens” which makes their legal identity understandable in the MSAR’s present social and economic context. Macau’s legal identity is based on centuries of trade and commerce. In Article 5 of the first chapter (I-5) of the MSAR’s Basic Law, the “way of life” in Macau’s society and economy are recognized as part of the MSAR’s legal framework. However, social change may play an important role in Macau’s development. The purpose of this paper is to look at the legal corpus as though it was a physical body with rights and duties, but also capabilities based on the nationality and residence statuses of its citizens, its companies and other entities (which will be studied more specifically in following articles).Design/methodology/approach– This study has used the combined approaches of fieldwork carried out between 2010 and 2015, interviews, and questionnaires.Findings– Way of life and the concept of One Country, Two Systems are key points that contribute to Macau’s contemporary identity. Way of life in the Basic Law constitutes a complex matrix formulation based on a series of particular facts and cultural traits, which leads to a better legal definition of important concepts such as nationality and residency in the particular case of Macau. The Basic Law is the constitutional law of the MSAR, but “Chineseness” still dominates the locals’ identity from day to day. More than 65 percent of the interviewees in the survey asserted their “Chineseness.” However, both Chinese and Portuguese, will continue to be official languages of Macau until 2049. The MSAR’s Chinese society speaks Cantonese and increasingly Putonghua, but it does not seem concerned by communicating using the Portuguese language. Clayton’s thesis emphasized the “unique cultural identity” of the MSAR and wrote that what made the Chinese of Macau “different from other Chinese, is the existence of a Portuguese state on Chinese soil.” Portuguese cultural tolerance is not mentioned, but it is a historical fact that has influenced Macau’s legal identity. The MSAR’s government has done its best to harmonize Macau’s multicultural society and it has particularly protected the Sino-Portuguese way of life in Macau.Practical implications– To apply the law and maintain the existing harmony in its society and economy, legal actions have had to be taken by the Macau government and courts. The courts of the MSAR are structured in three levels and have final powers of adjudication, except in very narrow political areas. The judicial system includes the following courts, from the highest to the lowest: the Court of Final Appeal, the Court of Second Instance and the Court of First Instance (Tribunal de Primeira Instância).Originality/value– This research is unique inasmuch as studies of legal identities focussed on large regions such as the MSAR of China are rare.

Validation of the Revised Inventory of Gambling Motives, Attitudes, and Behaviours (GMAB-R) Among Chinese University Students

The Inventory of Gambling Motives, Attitudes, and Behaviours (GMAB) has been shown to be a valid and reliable tool for measuring gambling cognitions and behaviors among both adult and adolescent gamblers. The present study aimed to validate its revised version (GMAB-R) with a sample of 427 university students in the Macao Special Administrative Region, China. The GMAB-R consists of six factors in the motivational domain, four in the attitudinal domain, and six in the behavioral domain. Our findings suggest that, after minor refinements, the psychometric properties of the GMAB-R remain satisfactory, and the inventory can be used among university students. The subscales in the attitudinal domain were found to be applicable to nongamblers as well. The GMAB-R can be used to facilitate future research in understanding emerging youth gambling and student gambling problems, as well as in prevention efforts.

Do China mainland and SARs constitute an optimal currency area? Evidence from nonlinearity and stationarity behavior testing on real exchange rates

In this article, we use the unrestricted two-regime autoregressive threshold model to test both nonlinearity and stationarity of China’s real exchange rate against its Hong Kong and Macau special administrative regions (SARs). Our main finding is that China’s real exchange rate is neither linear nor stationary, indicating that the purchasing power parity does not hold between China Mainland and its two SARs, which implies, to certain extent, the three economies may not meet the condition of constituting an optimal currency area.

Rebranding Macau: views of cultural industry insiders

Purpose – This paper aims to evaluate the feasibility of utilizing the performing arts as one element in changing the destination image of the Macau special administrative region from that of the Las Vegas of the East to a “World Centre of Tourism and Leisure”. The context is of particular interest as rebranding is typically associated with negative or outdated images, whereas Macau’s existing brand is strong and associated with positive tourism revenues. Design/methodology/approach – Semi-structured in-depth interviews with frontline participants in Macau’s performing arts sector are utilized to evaluate the relevant re-branding strategies and goals of the city’s administration. In-depth interviews focus on understanding policies through the thoughts and experiences of respondents. They are particularly useful in cases where insiders are likely to be better informed than others with respect to policy issues. Findings – Three main themes related to the use of the performing arts as a vehicle for destination rebranding are explored. Findings suggest that few elements common to successful branding campaigns are evident in the approach of the Macau administration. Shortcomings are evident, for example, in communication, infrastructure development, long-term planning and the allocation and monitoring of funding. Research limitations/implications – Although qualitative research relies on rich data from small numbers, the study focuses only on the views of informed insiders in the performing arts. Input from commercial stakeholders and higher-level policy makers would broaden the perspective. Practical implications – The findings are relevant for any destination wishing to alter or update its image. Originality/value – Cultural aspects are increasingly utilized in destination branding. This study is one of only a few which focuses on the performing arts sector.

Gaming Promoters in Macau: Current Regulation and Perspectives of Reform

This presentation covers the evolution, current regulation and future perspectives of the law applicable to gaming promoters in the Macau Special Administrative Region of China, the world's largest casino gaming jurisdiction by revenue. In Macau the regulation of gaming promoters, first introduced in 2001/2002 and then subsequently expanded, has some unique features. Promoters are not just international marketing agents who recruit new patrons for the casinos. They may grant credit, collect unpaid credit, help with money transfers/arrangements, and sometimes share in the revenue of gaming tables or rooms in casinos (VIP rooms). In September 2015 major reforms were announced, and it remains a matter of prime interest to see how the legislation will evolve.

The language situation in Macao

In postcolonial societies, forces associated with globalization operate along with local geopolitical changes. The complex and multifaceted interactions between local, national, and global forces may take different sociolinguistic shapes in postcolonial societies. This study provides an overview of the language situation in Macao. The Portuguese established their colonial rule in Macao in the mid-nineteenth century. On 20 December 1999, Macao was reintegrated with the People's Republic of China and reinvented as the Macao Special Administrative Region (the Macao SAR) under the principle of “One Country, Two Systems”. The overview shows that in postcolonial Macao the dynamic interplay of local, national, and global forces prevails across all sectors from politics to economy to education. At the same time, the push and pull between the local, national, and global forces are also discernible in Macao's sociolinguistic landscape as well as the Macao SAR Government's language policy and planning.

Casino Interests, Fujian Tongxianghui and Electoral Politics in Macao

ABSTRACTThe study of hometown associations has been traditionally focused on their social and cultural activities, but little research has been conducted on their political and electoral participation. The direct elections held for the Legislative Assembly in September 2013 in the Macao Special Administrative Region were characterised by the emergence of a clear triangular relationship between casino interests, Fujianese tongxianghui (a hometown association or an interest group with members sharing the same locality ties) and electoral politics. The prominent victory of an electoral group led by the Fujianese tongxianghui and represented under the umbrella of the United Citizens Association of Macao (UCAM) was unprecedented in Macao’s political participation and historical development. As a community leader of the Fujian community, Chan Meng Kam formed the UCAM to perform multiple functions: protecting his casino interests, articulating the interests of the Fujianese and the society vis-à-vis the casino state, acting as an intermediary between the Macao government and ordinary citizens, especially in the northern district which is the power base of the UCAM, and serving as a united front machinery for a unique sub-ethnic interest group to win the hearts and minds of the people of Macao.

Linguistic Practice, Power and Imagined Worlds: The Case of the Portuguese in Postcolonial Macau

ABSTRACTThis article describes and analyses the linguistic practices and socio-cultural discourses of Portuguese nationals residing in Macau Special Administrative Region (China), a territory under Portuguese rule for more than 400 years until it was returned to the People's Republic of China in 1999. Drawing from detailed interviews with 12 respondents, the research combines a postcolonial theoretical perspective with Bourdieu's notion of the habitus. It is a study of expatriates in a locale where they previously were ‘colonizers’, but where their collective identity and status have changed quite radically and suddenly. The research considers how the wider socio-cultural field that contains the Portuguese community of Macau has changed in terms of its relation to the new regime of power in contemporary Macau; and by way of extension how the habitus of Portuguese expatriates has informed, and been influenced by, the process of intercultural interactions with the host Chinese culture.

Geotechnical works of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Project

The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Bridge Project, being situated in the waters of Lingdingyang of the Pearl River Estuary, is a mega sea-crossing infrastructure project currently under construction in the Pearl River Delta of China. It consists of a series of bridges, sub-sea tunnels, viaducts and artificial islands connecting the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region ("Hong Kong"), Zhuhai City of Guangdong Province ("Zhuhai") , and the Macao Special Administrative Region ("Macao"), three major cities situated on the Pearl River Delta of China. The functions of the Project are: (1) to meet the demand of passenger and cargo interflows among Hong Kong, Mainland China (particularly the western Pearl River Delta region) and Macao; (2) to establish a new land transport link between the east and west banks of Pearl River; and (3) to enhance the economic and sustainable development of the three major cities in the Pearl River Delta region. The geotechnical works associated with the Project, including reclamations, onshore and offshore foundations, sub-sea tunnels, artificial islands, earth retaining structures and roadworks are extensive, large-scale, diversified, challenging and complex. In this special lecture, the background of the mega project and pertinent geotechnical works of the Project, in particular components contributed by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government ("HKSARG"), are described. Moreover, green measures implemented to reduce environmental impacts during the design and construction stages of the Project are also presented.

A Special Regional Actor in the World: Conceptualising Macao’s Diplomatic Behaviour

This study examines the diplomatic behaviour of the Macao Special Administrative Region (MSAR) of China, a special substate region, in its external relations. Based on Macao’s experiences, three major diplomatic types have been conceptualised: intrastate diplomacy with mainland China, substate diplomacy as a part of a wider Chinese national polity and quasi-state diplomacy as an autonomous entity in international affairs. Further empirical evidence is drawn from three case studies on the Closer Economic Partnership Agreement, the Sino-Portuguese Economic Forum and the bilateral relations between Macao and the European Union. The diplomatic behaviour of the MSAR is further characterised in terms of its practices, motivations and strategies. The objective of this study is to contribute both conceptually and empirically to a scholarly understanding of diplomacy by a substate region, in the fields of international relations, comparative federalism and China studies.