Q: When you assume your new post in Macau in 2000, will the challenges be different from when you headed the Trade and Tourism Office there?

A: Before the handover, the Trade and Tourism Office dealt with the Portuguese government, and the work consisted of providing services to our citizens abroad and making friends. Our work wasn't affected so much by the cross-strait situation.

After the handover, we will be dealing with the government of a PRC Special Administrative Region, and this falls under the general framework of cross-strait relations. As a result, if the ROC and PRC maintain stable and friendly relations, it will make it just that much easier for Taiwan-Macau relations to progress smoothly. It is easy to see how the number of Taiwanese visitors to Macau will only increase, and that social, trade and cultural ties will grow closer.

Q: After December 20, 1999, how will Taiwan-Macau relations change?

A: In talking about Taiwan-Macau relations, let me first note that since the Macau airport opened in 1995, planes from Taiwan have been able to go directly to the mainland with only a stopover in Macau to change the flight number. This has allowed for greater contact between ROC and PRC nationals, which has helped to promote cross-strait relations.

Since 1995 some 800,000 Taiwanese travelers have been arriving at the Macau airport every year, either visiting Macau itself or passing through on the way to the mainland. There are also more than 100,000 a year who come by boat from Hong Kong. When you combine these two figures, the total is just about the same as the number who go to the mainland via Hong Kong.

Over 1,000 ROC companies have set up in the nearby mainland towns of Zhongshan and Zhuhai. Macau, as a finance center and transport hub, provides convenient links to mother companies back in Taiwan.

From the Macau side, 20-30,000 people come to Taiwan every year to study or work. There has been a steady stream of them, particularly students, since 1955, and in the last two years the numbers have grown markedly. Suffice it to say that ties are growing.

If we want to talk about how the relationship is going to change after December 20, 1999, then we've got to start from how we view Macau. In the past, we regarded it as a Portuguese colony and the people living there as overseas Chinese. Starting December 20, we will regard Macau as a PRC SAR, and Macau residents who come to Taiwan will be subject to the "Regulations Governing ROC Relations with Hong Kong and Macau." In terms of rights and obligations, this changes everything.

The most obvious change is that in the past, people from Macau were regarded as overseas Chinese and thus had no restrictions regarding work here. After December 20, people from Macau who come to work in Taiwan will be put in one of two categories. The first group will have overseas Chinese ID cards. While they will have the same work privileges as overseas Chinese, their employers will be required to obtain a permit to employ them. Those who have not yet applied for overseas Chinese IDs will be governed by the same regulations that govern other foreign nationals in Taiwan, who are only allowed to take certain types of jobs.

Q: The atmosphere in Macau in 1999 is markedly different from Hong Kong in 1997, and it has even been suggested that Macau's populace is fondly looking forward to the city's "return home." What are your feelings about the atmosphere there?

A: Because of its location, Macau is closely connected to mainland China, and it relies on the mainland both economically and in order to maintain public order. Currently, the mainland has invested some US$3-4 billion in Macau, making it the largest outside investor. It's quite natural that people there have had a different attitude about the handover from people in Hong Kong. We have to be realistic and admit this fact, but that shouldn't prevent us from building bridges with Macau. For instance, Macau's Chinese General Chamber of Commerce has close ties to Beijing, but after the major earthquake in Taiwan on September 21 it nonetheless contributed HK$200,000 toward rescue efforts, via the Red Cross in Hong Kong. In humanitarian endeavors, there are no obstacles between the two sides.

Q: During the handover ceremony, Jiang Zeming declared straight out that the "one country two systems" approach used for Hong Kong and Macau would be the model for Taiwan. How do you respond to that?

A: Taiwan's situation is quite different from Macau's. The two can't be treated the same way. Macau is a colony, and thus the 1999 handover can be described as "returning home." The Republic of China on Taiwan, on the other hand, is an independent sovereign nation, so its situation is quite different from former colonies like Hong Kong and Macau. The "one country, two systems" model does not apply to the ROC.

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After the Macau handover, the Taipei Trade and Tourism Office there took down its sign. It was replaced with one for the "Taipei Economic and Cultural Center." William Li, however, remained in charge. (photo by Diago Chiu)