Global Constitutional Narratives of Autonomous Regions

<p>With international attention focused on Hong Kong, many forget that Macau also exists in a delicate "one country, two systems" (OCTS) balance with mainland China. This book provides insights into the circumstances surrounding the less-understood half of China’s OCTS policy, including the stagnation of representational government, and the location of any Macau characteristics in the Macau Basic Law. </p><p>Despite being Hong Kong’s sister "Special Administrative Region" (SAR) within the People’s Republic of China, Macau’s unique constitutional development under Portuguese and Chinese administration remains under-appreciated despite its potential contributions to local, national, and international constitutional discourse. Utilizing a multidisciplinary approach, including doctrinal, historical, and comparative methodologies, this work fills that gap. The research blends Portuguese, Chinese, and foreign-language sources in order to reconstruct a balanced constitutional narrative. The book focuses on a consequential effect of globalization – that is, the assimilation of a long-standing and unique constitutional order by a new hegemonic sovereign – including processes for internationalization as China opened up, legal harmonization of two distinct legal and socioeconomic orders, juridification of local affairs with the establishment of a new local court system in preparation for handover to the Chinese regime, and democratization (or the lack thereof) among the various communities comprising the Macanese polity before and since. </p><p>Focusing on Macau’s unique development at the crux of European and Chinese empires, and the role it plays as a mirror for Chinese intentions <em>vis-a-vis</em> Hong Kong today, the book will be of interest to those working in constitutional law, politics, and history.</p> <p>Chapter 1: The Entrepȏt of Eurasia (1553 – 1622)</p><p>Chapter 2: The Democratic Citadel (1623 – 1783)</p><p>Chapter 3: The Era Of Imperial Consolidation (1783 – 1845)</p><p>Chapter 4: The Early Colonial Era (1846 – 1909)</p><p>Chapter 5: The Middle Colonial / Republican Period (1910 – 1930)</p><p>Chapter 6: The Late Colonial Period (1930 – 1966)</p><p>Chapter 7: The Handover Era (1966 – 1999)</p><p>Chapter 8: The Special Administrative Region (1999 – 2049) </p><p>Epilogue</p>