Macau and Hong Kong different paths to China. Why?

While Hong Kong seems to have resisted Beijing’s tightening control, Macau has embraced one country, two systems rule.

A tiny former Portuguese colony, Macau, has marked 21 years since its return to China.

It was agreed in 1999 the territory would be governed under the Chinese “one country, two systems” rule, as is the case with Hong Kong.

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But this is where the similarity between the two ends.

Many people in Hong Kong criticise China for undermining freedoms which were meant to be guaranteed for 50 years when sovereignty was handed back by the UK in 1997.

Macau, on the other hand, has remained largely unaffected by the pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong.

And Beijing has hailed it as a role model for how the political system works.

So is Macau really China’s success story?

Presenter: Mohammed Jamjoom.

Guests:

Andrew Leung – international China strategist

Steve Tsang – director of China Institute at SOAS University of London

Stephen Vines – journalist and author who specialises in China’s politics