China: Macao under close surveillance for Xi Jinping's visit

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General view of Macau and its casinos. REUTERS / Bobby Yip / File Photo

The Chinese president is expected in Macao where he is to attend Friday, December 20, the ceremony of the 20th anniversary of the handover of the former Portuguese colony. Commemorations placed under high surveillance with reinforced controls at the entrance to the Special Administrative Region.

With our correspondent in Beijing, Stéphane Lagarde

Reduction in the number of ferries, pressure on NGOs and intellectuals, Beijing wants to prevent the manifestation of any sign of dissatisfaction on the occasion of this anniversary. Macau customs has announced tightening of security controls from Tuesday until Saturday. Same thing at the Zhuhai post, in the south of China, on the mega-bridge connecting Hong Kong to Macao .

" The artificial island of the bridge is part of the continental judicial area," explains a policeman who seems to be reciting a text in front of the camera. The continental police therefore have every right to screen passengers in accordance with the law . "

Hong Kong journalists prevented from coming to Macau

Controls which sometimes end in a refusal of a pass. In a press release published a few days ago, the Macau Portuguese and English media association asked the government of the special administrative region to respect press freedom after several colleagues from Hong Kong were prevented from prosecuting their road towards the casino capital .

The statement came two days after the one from Macau Portuguese and English Press Association, which also expressed concern and called on Macau government to respect and guarantee press freedom. pic.twitter.com/2fP3vf8251

This Tuesday again a reporter for the South China Morning Post , an English-language newspaper in Hong Kong, spent three hours answering questions from the police, before being refused entry to the former Portuguese colony.