Six Macau members of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Committee (CPPCC) have jointly proposed that the central government allow all foreign nationals holding a Macau ID card and foreign non-resident workers in Macau to visit the mainland again, provided they have been staying in Macau for over 28 days before their intended trip and also have a nucleic acid test (NAT) certificate confirming that they have tested negative for COVID-19 within the past seven days.
The written proposal, which was released to the media at the weekend, was jointly made by Chong Sio Kin, Tina Ho Teng Iat, Leonel Alberto Alves, Ung Pui Kun, Wan Nang Hon, and Eddie Wong Yue Kai, who are attending the ongoing annual session of the CPPCC National Committee in Beijing.
Chong is a property developer, while Tina Ho, a businesswoman, is the sister of Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng. Alves, a lawyer by profession, is a former local lawmaker, while Ung, a nurse by profession, heads the private Kiang Wu Hospital. Wan works in the media sector, while Wong is an architect.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, foreign nationals – including those living in Macau – have, in general, been barred from entering the mainland since March last year.
On Monday last week, the Office of the Commissioner of the Foreign Ministry in Macau started to again accept mainland visa applications by foreign residents living in Macau through the China Online Visa Application (COVA) system. In a statement last month, the commissioner’s office said that “for the time being” it only accepts applications for M (business, trade) and F (research, cultural exchange, etc.) visas.
Only those (Macau permanent or non-permanent ID cards) who have been staying in Macau for at least two consecutive months before the intended trip can submit applications for M and F visas which started on Monday last week.
The six Macau CPPCC members’ proposal pointed out that foreign nationals who have been staying in Macau for over 28 days pose a “very low” COVID-19 risk to the mainland, like all other Macau residents who are allowed to visit the mainland without having to undergo quarantine.
While the whole mainland lifted its quarantine requirement for arrivals from Macau on August 12 last year, it is only applicable to Macau residents holding a Home Return Permit and mainlanders, meaning that foreign nationals even holding a Macau ID card are not covered by the quarantine lifting.
The six local CPPCC members’ proposal pointed out that both the mainland and Macau have made a “very good” achievement in bringing COVID-19 under control because of which travel between the mainland and Macau has been gradually relaxed since last year, including the resumption of the issuing of travel permits for all mainlanders to visit Macau, which started on September 23 last year. The proposal underlined that no mainland visitors who had visited Macau have been confirmed as COVID-19 patients after returning to the mainland from Macau.
The proposal also noted that since December last year Macau has allowed certain foreign nationals without a Macau ID card, such as non-resident workers, the spouses or offspring of a Macau resident, or those who have been admitted to local higher education institutions, to enter the city, as long as they have been staying in the mainland for at least 21 days prior to their arrival here.
The proposal said that the gradual relaxation of travel restrictions between the mainland and Macau can further recover people movements between the two regions while COVID-19 can remain under control.
The proposal pointed out that “many” local Portuguese nationals holding a Macau permanent ID card live and work in Macau. As they are foreign nationals they cannot hold a Home Return Permit, the proposal noted, adding that therefore they currently cannot enter the mainland, despite the fact that they are Macau residents.
The proposal also pointed out that the “many” foreign non-resident workers who are living and working in “various sectors” in Macau currently also cannot enter the mainland.
The proposal said that “in the viewpoint of COVID-19 prevention and control”, the two kinds of foreign nationals living in Macau pose a “very low” COVID-19 risk to the mainland as long as they have been staying in Macau for over 28 days before their intended trip to the mainland. “They have the same risk as all other Macau residents [who are allowed to visit the mainland],” the proposal said.
“In the viewpoint of accurate COVID-19 prevention and control work, a possible relaxation of the restrictions for them [the two kinds of foreign nationals living in Macau] to visit the mainland could be considered,” the proposal said.
“They work and live in Macau, contributing to the development of Macau as well as the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area, many of whom are actively working on promoting economic and trade cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking countries,” the proposal said.
“They have integrated themselves into Macau’s society, apart from their sense of belonging to Macau and [the whole of] China, because of which it is unsuitable to restrict their entry [into the mainland],” the proposal said.
The proposal urged the respective entities of the central government to “seriously” study the matter.
