Portuguese Citizenship in Macau

This 1903 diplomatic correspondence comprises two official communications from the Portuguese Consulate General in Canton to the Governor of Macau, concerning legal and administrative challenges related to nationality and extraterritorial jurisdiction. The first document, dated 9 February 1903, auth...

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Bibliographic Details
Format: Documents
Language:Portuguese
Published: Fevereiro 1903
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Online Access:https://macau-legacy.usj.edu.mo/docs/KQCSQS5R/viewer_KQCSQS5R.html
Description
Summary:This 1903 diplomatic correspondence comprises two official communications from the Portuguese Consulate General in Canton to the Governor of Macau, concerning legal and administrative challenges related to nationality and extraterritorial jurisdiction. The first document, dated 9 February 1903, authored by Acting Counsellor João Damaso da Costa Morais, reports a robbery case involving Li-Cuong (also known as Li-Ka-Ku), a Chinese mandarin recommended by the Portuguese government for a post under its jurisdiction. The author expresses concern over the implications of granting Portuguese nationality to Chinese subjects, including high-ranking officials, noting that such practices are contested by Chinese authorities who reject the legitimacy of these designations, particularly when conferred upon individuals with no physical ties to Macau. The second communication, dated 12 February 1903 and signed by Consul General João Damaso da Costa Moraes, transmits a request from the Viceroy of Canton for the arrest of two Chinese debtors, Chiong-ngo-hong and Kii-ioc-shii, alleged to have fled to Macau to evade repayment of a HK$468 debt owed to Watkins Limited in Hong Kong. Together, these documents highlight tensions surrounding colonial subjecthood, cross-border legal accountability, and Sino-Portuguese relations in late Qing China, offering valuable insight into the administration of foreign concessions and the complexities of nationality policy in the Portuguese enclave of Macau.