The government will suspend the operations of the Macau Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) in Taiwan from Saturday, the Macau Government Information Bureau (GCS) said in a statement yesterday.
The statement said that the local government “fully takes into account the needs of Macau residents in Taiwan,” adding that a 24-hour telephone hotline (+853 2833 3000) set up by the Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO) will be handling general enquires during the suspension, and providing other services and any assistance requested by Macau residents who are in Taiwan.
The statement did not give a timeframe for the suspension of the representative office’s operations.
The telephone hotline will also provide people in Taiwan with information about Macau, the statement said, adding that for the latest information on COVID-19-related matters concerning Macau, people may call the Novel Coronavirus Coordination and Response Centre on +853 2870 0800.
“The Macau Special Administrative Region (MSAR) government has, since its establishment, been pragmatically promoting the stable development of relations between Macau and Taiwan, the statement said.
In 2011, based on the “1992 Consensus” endorsed by both the mainland and the Taiwan region, Macau and Taiwan reached agreement on establishing a representative office in the other’s respective area, the statement noted, pointing out that the two offices have been conducting activities in accordance with the 1992 Consensus, according to which the two sides of the Taiwan Strait agree that there is only “one China” but that they have “different interpretations” about the principle.
The Macau Economic and Cultural Office in Taiwan started operations in December 2011. The office is located in the Taipei 101 skyscraper.
The local government said in a follow-up statement in response to media enquiries concerning the suspension of the office’s operations that it “has always proceeded in compliance with the law, regarding applications for the necessary credentials by personnel wishing to work for the Taiwan office in Macau.
“Nonetheless, it has not so far been possible to gain approval in Taiwan either for requests for renewal of credentials, lodged by existing members of the Macau Economic and Cultural Office in Taiwan, or for new credentials by Macau staff wishing to work in Macau’s office [in Taipei] on a rotational basis.
“As a result, the Macau Economic and Cultural Office in Taiwan has to cease operations. It will suspend its work from 19 June 2021,” the statement said.
The statement also said that the Macau government “will continue to uphold the Basic Law of Macau, the one-China principle, and the fundamental principles and policies implemented by the central government towards Taiwan, as the basis to proceed on matters between Macau and Taiwan.
The statement added that the local government “will keep promoting and deepening people-to-people exchanges and cooperation between Macau and Taiwan.”
Thousands of Macau residents study and work in Taiwan. The island, which Japan returned to China in 1945 after 50 years of colonial occupation, was a popular tourist destination for people from Macau until the COVID-19 outbreak early last year. Macau was also popular with visitors from Taiwan.
Hong Kong suspended operations of its office in Taipei last month. The Hong Kong government said at that time that the Taiwan authorities had “grossly interfered” in the special administrative region’s affairs on repeated occasions and “created irretrievable damage” to relations between the two sides.
The Taiwan authorities run the “Taipei Economic and Culture Office” in Macau. It is located in Dynasty Plaza in Nape.
