politics

In Macao, the national security law muzzles the opposition

Xi Jinping has reasserted control over the Portuguese colony of Macao, where the first trial under the national security law is muzzling all opposition.

europe, paris, sécurit, chine, macao, nationale, sécurité, sécurité nationale

Key facts

  • Casinos nevertheless remain the most visible setting. At the Venetian, the former colony's largest gaming establishment, Europe is within reach:…
  • President Xi Jinping has brought Macao back under control, the former Portuguese colony, once a shady exit route for Chinese fortunes. The first…
  • This reassertion of control closes an era in which the territory served as an outlet for Chinese capital. With this first trial, the law becomes the…

Casinos nevertheless remain the most visible setting. At the Venetian, the former colony's largest gaming establishment, Europe is within reach: 951,000 m2, 800 gaming tables and more than 3,000 slot machines.

President Xi Jinping has brought Macao back under control, the former Portuguese colony, once a shady exit route for Chinese fortunes. The first trial brought under the new national security law muzzles all opposition.

This reassertion of control closes an era in which the territory served as an outlet for Chinese capital. With this first trial, the law becomes the instrument of tighter political control: the opposition no longer has a voice.

Gaming halls on one side, a security trial on the other: Macao now presents these two faces, that of holidays and that of a former colony brought back under control.

Dig deeper

Who is Xi Jinping?

Xi Jinping is the president of the People's Republic of China and the general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party. In this account, he embodies Beijing's political reassertion of control over Macao.

What is Macao?

Macao is a special administrative region of China, a former Portuguese colony whose economy relies mainly on casinos and tourism. The text presents it as a former outlet for Chinese fortunes, now under tighter political control.

What is the Venetian?

The Venetian is a vast hotel and gaming complex in Macao, with décor inspired by Venice. Its 951,000 m², its tables and its slot machines illustrate the territory's tourist face.

What does the national security law mean here?

It is a statute that allows the authorities to prosecute acts deemed threatening to the state. The first trial opened under this law is presented as the instrument that silences the opposition.

Why does this case matter?

It marks the end of an era in which Macao served mainly as an exit route for Chinese capital: the territory keeps its casinos, but the security trial shows much firmer political control.

Lire en français