Macau Governor General Vasco Rocha Vieira has described proposals on post-handover nationality for the Portuguese community as 'setbacks'.
He said the Preparatory Committee had taken 'a unilateral and ambiguous' decision this week at a meeting in Zhuhai.
Chinese officials had agreed in 1994 and 1995 that the Macanese would be able to retain Portuguese nationality beyond next year's handover and would not have Chinese nationality imposed on them, General Vieira said.
However, the Preparatory Committee ruled this week that Macanese failing to opt for Chinese nationality would be regarded as foreign residents of Macau.
They would only be able to use their Portuguese passports to travel outside China, General Vieira said. This failed to take into account the enclave's 'specific reality'.
However, the Governor said he believed China's leaders would eventually find a solution to the nationality issue.
