VZCZCXRO0743
PP RUEHCN RUEHGH RUEHVC
DE RUEHHK #0945 1420958
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P 220958Z MAY 09
FM AMCONSUL HONG KONG
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7681
INFO RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE

C O N F I D E N T I A L HONG KONG 000945 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EAP/CM 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/22/2019 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM MC CH HK
SUBJECT: MACAU OBSERVERS DISMISS HONG KONG REPORTS OF A 
SECOND GOVERNING TEAM 
 
REF: HONG KONG 931 
 
Classified By: Consul General Joe Donovan for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
¶1. (C) Summary and comment: Macau contacts dismiss 
allegations by Hong Kong activists that Beijing has a "second 
governing team" administering Macau (reftel).  Most question 
why the central government would feel the need: Macau's 
government sticks close to the central line, and Macau people 
are far more comfortable with the role of the Central 
Government Liaison Office than their compatriots in Hong 
Kong.  Past PRC support of Macau's traditional social 
organizations, an influx of Mainlanders to Macau since 
reversion, and Mainlanders now working in Macau government 
offices all may be vectors of influence.  That said, we 
concur with our contacts that a direct Beijing role in the 
day-to-day governance of Macau is unlikely.  End summary and 
comment. 
 
¶2. (C) As reported reftel, Hong Kong Central Government 
Liaison Office (CGLO) Research Department Chief Cao Erbao 
published an article in January 2008 describing "two 
governing teams" for Hong Kong -- the Hong Kong government 
and a team of central government cadres.  Hong Kong activists 
raising the alarm over the article have alleged Cao's "plan" 
for the central government to run Hong Kong has already been 
realized in Macau.  We spoke separately with Macau 
Inter-University Institute Academics Eric Sautede and Jose 
Duarte, as well as University of Macau (UM) Journalism 
professor and "Civic Power" leader Agnes Lam May 20 regarding 
the allegations.  We also spoke with proto-democratic New 
Macau Association (NMA) legislators Au Kam-san and (Antonio) 
Ng Kuok-cheung, and earlier with Professor University of 
Macau Professor Eilo Yu.  (Please protect sources throughout.) 
 
¶3. (C) Our contacts uniformly rejected the idea that Mainland 
cadres were working in parallel with Macau's policy bureaux 
in the administration of Macau, as alleged by Hong Kong 
activists.  All agreed that Beijing's influence in Macau was 
great, with the subtext that direct administration would be 
unnecessary given the willingness of the Macau government to 
follow Beijing's line.  UM's Yu noted Macau people in general 
are much more comfortable with a Mainland role in Macau than 
are Hong Kong people, which allows Macau's CGLO to be more 
visible in the community.  IIUM's Duarte noted the 
demographic shift in Macau since the time of the handover, 
with about half the current population now Mainland-born 
first-generation immigrants.  UM's Lam pointed out that, 
since the turmoil of the 1960's, which effectively relegated 
the Portuguese administration to caretaker status until the 
inevitable handover, most of Macau's traditional social 
organizations are PRC-backed. 
 
¶4. (C) NMA's Ng told us there are Mainland cadres working in 
Macau's policy bureaux.  We have also met Mainlanders 
attached to the Macau administration, apparently to provide 
manpower in deficit skill-sets such as law.  For example, a 
contact told us the Article 23 bill was drafted by a Mainland 
lawyer, although the head of the responsible office is Macau 
Chinese.  (Note: Unlike in Hong Kong, where Chinese were 
represented at the highest ranks of government, expatriate 
Portuguese staffed a broad range of positions, leaving Macau 
with fewer trained civil servants and legal professionals at 
the handover.  End note.)  Lam pointed to a number of 
Mainlanders who studied abroad in Portugal or learned 
Portuguese in Beijing and then later relocated to Macau and 
joined the government -- "who knows if they were sent?"  That 
said, we note there are also still Portuguese working in the 
Macau government, either continuing their pre-handover 
positions or on detail from the Portuguese Ministry of 
Foreign Affairs or other agencies.  Macau civil servants are 
routinely sent to the Mainland for training, which some see 
as a form of indoctrination.  However, IIUM's Sautede told us 
his contacts among the civil service report going through the 
motions in theory classes, paying real attention only to 
sessions on key economic and policy issues. 
DONOVAN