Macau Chargeability Reverts to Portugal
UNCLASSIFIED TELEGRAM
January 27, 2001
To: ALL DIPLOMATIC AND CONSULAR POSTS - ROUTINE
Origin: VO
From: SECSTATE WASHDC (STATE 15569 - ROUTINE)
TAGS: CVIS
Captions: VISAS
Subject: MACAU VISA NUMBERS ARE CHARGEABLE TO PORTUGAL
Ref: None
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1. ON DECEMBER 27, 2000, THE MACAU POLICY ACT WAS INCORPORATED AND SUBSEQUENTLY ENACTED AS TITLE II OF PUBLIC LAW 106-670, THE "ASSISTANCE FOR INTERNATIONAL MALARIA CONTROL ACT."
2. BY WAY OF BACKGROUND, MACAU REVERTED TO CHINESE SOVEREIGNTY ON DECEMBER 20, 1999, AFTER 442 YEARS AS A PORTUGESE COLONY AND, LIKE HONG KONG, BECAME A SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION OF CHINA, UNDER A "ONE NATION, TWO SYSTEMS" CONCEPT. AT THAT TIME, IMMIGRANT VISA NUMBER CHARGEABILITY FOR MACAU REVERTED BY OPERATION OF UNITED STATES LAW FROM PORTUGAL TO THE PRC.
3. TITLE II OF PL 106-670, HOWEVER, PROVIDES THAT THE LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES WILL HENCEFORTH APPLY TO MACAU IN THE SAME MANNER AS BEFORE DECEMBER 20, 1999. CONSEQUENTLY, IV CHARGEABLITY FOR MACAU HAS NOW REVERTED BACK TO PORTUGAL, A CONDITION THAT THE DEPARTMENT VIEWS AS ADMINISTRATIVELY INAPPROPRIATE.
4. CA/VO, THEREFORE, IS AGAIN INCLUDING TECHNICAL CORRECTIONS IN ITS MOST RECENT CONSULAR EFFICIENCY LEGISLATIVE PACKAGE THAT WOULD PROVIDE FOR MACAU AND HONG KONG TO OPERATE AS A COMBINED SEPARATE ENTITY FOR IV CHARGEABILITY PURPOSES. THE POTENTIAL NUMBER OF IVS FOR MACAU IS SO SMALL THAT IT WOULD NOT BE PRODUCTIVE TO TREAT IT INDEPENDENTLY. THE COMBINATION OF MACAU AND HONG KONG FOR CHARGEABILITY PURPOSES WILL PROVIDE BOTH WITH SUFFICIENT NUMBERS OF VISAS WHILE AT THE SAME TIME RATIONALIZING ATTENDANT OPERATIONAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE PROCESSES WITHIN A REGIONAL CONTEXT.
5. CA WILL CONTINUE TO KEEP POSTS APPRISED OF FURTHER DEVELOPMENTS APROPOS THE TECHNICAL LEGISLATIVE CORRECTION. UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE, HOWEVER, IVS SHOULD BE ISSUED TO NATIONALS OF MACAU USING THE "MAC" FOREIGN STATE CODE, AND MACAU WILL BE TREATED AS A PORTUGUESE DEPENDENCY.
POWELL
NOTE: POUCH ADDRESSEES PROTECTED BY IRM/MSO
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