Special administrative region to share economic zone located on Chinese soil
China has revealed plans to create a special economic zone that focuses on development and manufacturing of semiconductors – and will create some fabulous geopolitical interest along the way. The new “Guangdong-Macau in-depth cooperation zone” will be located on Hengqin island, part of which is currently leased to the former Portuguese colony of Macau. Macau is governed under China’s “One country, two systems” constitutional principle, which acknowledges the territory had its own system of governance before Portugal ceded it to China in 1999. China committed to allowing Macau’s governance mode to persist for 50 years beyond 1999 and promised a “high degree of autonomy”. A similar arrangement was promised to Hong Kong but has been substantially unwound in recent years, leading to fierce pro-democracy protests and equally fierce crackdowns by Beijing. Macau has not experienced similar ructions because its population is broadly pro-Beijing – an attitude reflected in the lease of parts of Hengqin island.
