The Central People’s Government has decided to appointed Bian Lixin as commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Macao Special Administrative Region (MSAR), replacing Liu Xianfa, Xinhua reported this morning.
Bian, a senior official of the ministry, previously headed the ministry’s Department of Personnel.
Liu concluded his five-year posting to Macao on January 15.
The Commissioner’s Office is one of the three central government entities in the MSAR, along the Liaison Office and the local garrison of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
The official website of the Commissioner's Office states that “the Basic Law of the Macao SAR of the People's Republic of China (PRC) provides that the Central People's Government shall be responsible for the foreign affairs relating to the Macao SAR and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the PRC shall establish an office in the Macao SAR to deal with foreign affairs. The Commissioner's Office is the agency established by the Foreign Ministry in the Macao SAR according to the above-mentioned provisions.
“The purposes of the Commissioner's Office are to implement the principles of "one country, two systems", "Macao people administrating Macao" and a high degree of autonomy in strict accordance with the Basic Law, pursue the Central People's Government's foreign policy, safeguard state sovereignty and national interests, protect the legitimate rights of Macao compatriots and promote long-term prosperity, stability and development of the Macao SAR.”
According to the website, the main functions of the Commissioner's Office are:
1. to deal with the foreign affairs affecting the Macao SAR, which are the responsibilities of the Central People's Government.
2. to coordinate the handling of matters concerning the Macao SAR's participation in relevant international organizations and conferences, the establishment of offices by international organizations and agencies in the Macao SAR, and inter-governmental conferences to be held in the Macao SAR.
3. to deal with matters concerning the application of relevant international conventions to the Macao SAR, and to assist the Macao SAR Government in obtaining authorizations to negotiate and conclude bilateral agreements with foreign countries, which require the approval of the Central People's Government.
4. to coordinate the handling of matters concerning the establishment of foreign consular offices or other official and semi-official organizations in the Macao SAR, and to deal with relevant consular affairs.
5. to execute any other tasks entrusted by the Central People's Government or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Commissioner's Office has five departments: Department of Policy Research, Department of International Organizations and Legal Affairs, Department of Consular Affairs, Department of Information and Public Diplomacy,and Department of General Affairs.
Official file photo of the new Commissioner of the Commissioner's Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Macao, Bian Lixin, released by the office today.
