Portugal and China will celebrate two important milestones in their centuries-old relationship next year. The first is the 10th anniversary of the handover of Macau in 1999. And the second is the 30th anniversary of the resumption of diplomatic ties between the two countries in 1979.
'We would very much like to see these two events commemorated together,' said Pedro Moitinho de Almeida, consul general of Portugal for Macau and Hong Kong.
'It will be a milestone for Macau. We hope we can take part in the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the special administrative region. We consider this to be a success story, and we think that this success story is due to the good relations that have existed between the two countries for many years.'
Significant changes have been taking place in the former Portuguese enclave, and the consul general has been following them with keen interest. It is only natural, considering that Portugal administered the place - the longest permanent European settlement in Asia - for 442 years.
'We are very happy that economically Macau is doing very well,' Mr Moitinho de Almeida said. 'We are concerned, however, that GDP figures for the first trimester in Macau grew by more than 30 per cent. It was nearly 28 per cent last year. It is not possible to grow at this rate without experiencing growing pains. Some segments of the population are suffering, and we are worried that this could lead to unrest.'
Macau's chief executive Edmund Ho Hau-wah has taken a series of steps in recent months to calm things down. The first was a freeze on casino licences and land for gaming development, which he announced in his 2008 policy address. Several weeks later, he published a dispatch limiting the height of new construction near the Guia Lighthouse, which was named a Unesco World Heritage site in 2005.
Under the new regulations, the height of buildings from Fisherman's Wharf to Tap Seac Square will be limited so as to preserve views of the historic structure. More recently, he announced plans to give all residents of the enclave 3,000 or 5,000 patacas in a bid to offset the negative effects that inflation has been having on the population.
