AFP, MACAUChinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) yesterday landed in Macau as the territory prepares to mark 20 years since the former Portuguese colony was returned to China, a celebration that stands in stark contrast with months of unrest in neighboring Hong Kong. Since the 1999 handover by Lisbon, Macau has witnessed little of the dissent that has exploded in Hong Kong during six months of often violent pro-democracy protests as large chunks of the population seethes under Beijing’s rule. Tomorrow, Xi is to preside over the inauguration of incoming Macanese chief executive Ho Iat Seng (賀一誠). Security checks were also increased in Hong Kong’s ferry terminals and on the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macau Bridge linking the two territories. However, while Macau has grown rich and been politically stable in the 20 years of Chinese rule, it has many vulnerabilities.
