20 dez 1999 ano - Macau Handed Back to China

Descrição:

On the south coast of China, the Macau Peninsular had been under the rule of the Portuguese ever since traders settled there in the 1500s. Over the many years, the colony developed into a major trading city, although never quite as big as its neighbor Hong Kong.

Similar to Hong Kong though, the city of Macau received an influx of people after China converted to communism. This new amount of workforce quickly boosted the economy of the colony and expanded its industry and tourism. Then, after China agreed to a Hong Kong handover with Britain, the Chinese government began negotiating with Portugal over the status of Macau and some nearby coastal islands. Eventually, the Portuguese officially agreed to handover Macau back to China on 20th December 1999, with the same "50-year" agreement about changing the government, as there was with Hong Kong.

Following the handover, Macau's economy boomed over the next few years as restrictions were lifted on casino gambling which brought in thousands of foreign investors pouring vast amounts of money into the city.