UNCLASSIFIED
TELEGRAM                                         January 27, 2001


To:       ALL DIPLOMATIC AND CONSULAR  POSTS - ROUTINE           

Origin:   VO                                                     

From:     SECSTATE WASHDC (STATE 15569 - ROUTINE)                

TAGS:     CVIS                                                   

Captions: VISAS                                                  

Subject:  MACAU VISA NUMBERS ARE CHARGEABLE TO PORTUGAL          

Ref:      None                                                   
_________________________________________________________________

1. ON DECEMBER 27, 2000, THE MACAU POLICY ACT WAS
  INCORPORATED AND SUBSEQUENTLY ENACTED AS TITLE II OF
  PUBLIC LAW 106-670, THE "ASSISTANCE FOR INTERNATIONAL
  MALARIA CONTROL ACT."

2. BY WAY OF BACKGROUND, MACAU REVERTED TO CHINESE
  SOVEREIGNTY ON DECEMBER 20, 1999, AFTER 442 YEARS AS A
  PORTUGESE COLONY AND, LIKE HONG KONG, BECAME A SPECIAL
  ADMINISTRATIVE REGION OF CHINA, UNDER A "ONE NATION, TWO
   SYSTEMS" CONCEPT. AT THAT TIME, IMMIGRANT VISA NUMBER
   CHARGEABILITY FOR MACAU REVERTED BY OPERATION OF UNITED
   STATES LAW FROM PORTUGAL TO THE PRC.

3. TITLE II OF PL 106-670, HOWEVER, PROVIDES THAT THE LAWS
   OF THE UNITED STATES WILL HENCEFORTH APPLY TO MACAU IN
   THE SAME MANNER AS BEFORE DECEMBER 20, 1999.
   CONSEQUENTLY, IV CHARGEABLITY FOR MACAU HAS NOW REVERTED
   BACK TO PORTUGAL, A CONDITION THAT THE DEPARTMENT VIEWS
  AS ADMINISTRATIVELY INAPPROPRIATE.

4. CA/VO, THEREFORE, IS AGAIN INCLUDING TECHNICAL
   CORRECTIONS IN ITS MOST RECENT CONSULAR EFFICIENCY
  LEGISLATIVE PACKAGE THAT WOULD PROVIDE FOR MACAU AND
  HONG KONG TO OPERATE AS A COMBINED SEPARATE ENTITY FOR
  IV CHARGEABILITY PURPOSES. THE POTENTIAL NUMBER OF IVS
  FOR MACAU IS SO SMALL THAT IT WOULD NOT BE PRODUCTIVE TO
  TREAT IT INDEPENDENTLY. THE COMBINATION OF MACAU AND
  HONG KONG FOR CHARGEABILITY PURPOSES WILL PROVIDE BOTH
  WITH SUFFICIENT NUMBERS OF VISAS WHILE AT THE SAME TIME
  RATIONALIZING ATTENDANT OPERATIONAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE
  PROCESSES WITHIN A REGIONAL CONTEXT.

5. CA WILL CONTINUE TO KEEP POSTS APPRISED OF FURTHER
  DEVELOPMENTS APROPOS THE TECHNICAL LEGISLATIVE
  CORRECTION. UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE, HOWEVER, IVS SHOULD
  BE ISSUED TO NATIONALS OF MACAU USING THE "MAC" FOREIGN
  STATE CODE, AND MACAU WILL BE TREATED AS A PORTUGUESE
  DEPENDENCY.
POWELL


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