The decolonisation of Macau on 20 December 1999 marked a powerful transition for the small Macanese community. Prior to transfer of sovereignty, there have been grave concerns for the survival of these miscegenic descendants of the Portuguese settlers who came to China some five hundred years ago. Many feared that there would be a mass exodus similar to that which overtook the former Portuguese colonies in Africa and East Timor, and that the Macanese future would be threatened by the process of Sinicisation – in short, that they are a dying race. This thesis examines such fears using a combination of newspaper survey, extensive fieldwork and repeat interviews. The outcome of the research shows that despite the dire prognostication, the community has survived the first five years of Chinese rule in robust form; the feared exodus did not eventuate and there has been no death to speak of. In the post-colonial environment, the Constitutions (Macau Basic Law) obliges the government to respect Macanese customs and cultural traditions and to protect their rights – at least for fifty years. The Macanese community in Macau is likely to continue to transform itself and adapt to a changing environment. It is likely that the transformation will occur over a long period of time, representing generations, perhaps centuries not decades. It is then more appropriate to view the Macanese community in Macau as an endangered – not dying – species / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Hong Kong, the Special Administrative Region under “one country, two systems”, is also one region that have been under two different rulers, which returned to China 1997 after 150 years of British colonial rule. The purpose of this study is to examine if the democracy in Hong Kong differs between British and Chinese rule. The empirical material about Hong Kong will be analysed through civil society, political society and through the rule of law under British and Chinese governance. With 23 years each, from the period 1974-2020, and with a theoretical framework of criteria needed to fulfill a democracy, this study will reach a conclusion. Although the British and the Chinese had different ways of governing Hong Kong, they both received the same level of democracy. / Statsvetenskapliga institutionen, Umeå Universitet