Número 122Mayo - Agosto 2008ISSN 0041 8633 MACAU: THE INTERNATIONALIZATION OF AN HISTORICAL AUTONOMY* Paulo CARDINAL** This article after a brief introduction moves to provide an historical account which, in the authors view is an important factor to understand the peculiarity of a tiny territory having such a preeminent jus-political position within giant China. It then analyses and compares the Macau autonomy as a "territory under Portuguese Administration" vis-à-vis the Portuguese islanded autonomous regions.The author elects two features of the Macau autonomy: the political system and the fundamental rights systems and analyses it both before and after the transfer of full sovereign powers from Portugal to China concluding that play a rather important role accentuating the Macau autonomy as a special region of China. Descriptors: autonomy, internationalized autonomy, fundamental rights, federalism, Special Administrative Regions of China, continuity, Joint Declaration. * Artículo recibido el 2 de agosto de 2007 y aceptado el 22 de octubre de 2007. ** Senior Legal Adviser, Macau Legislative Assembly, Board of directors, IDICM. The opinions expressed here are solely those of the author and do not reflect the views of any institution to which he is affiliated. The author acknowledges the role of Professor Sophia Woodman in revising the text most especially dealing with the English language. This paper was originally made for the conference Comparative National Experiences of Autonomy Purpose, Structures and Institutions, as well as for the book that will follow it (Yash Ghai, ed.). * Nota: Debido que la traducción es automática podrá ser inexacta o contener errores.Número 122Mayo - Agosto 2008ISSN 0041 8633 MACAU: THE INTERNATIONALIZATION OF AN HISTORICAL AUTONOMY* Paulo CARDINAL** Este artículo comienza con una breve introducción para, posteriormente, proporcionarnos una pers- pectiva histórica que, según el autor, es un factor importante para entender la particularidad de un territorio minúscu lo que tiene una posición jurídico-política tan preeminente dentro de la "Gigante China". Después analiza y compara la autonomía de Macau como "territorio bajo la administración portuguesa" en contra de las regiones insulares autónomas portuguesas. El autor elige dos características de la autonomía de Macau: el sistema político y el sistema de los derechos fundamentales, y los analiza, antes y después de la transferencia de los poderes totales soberanos de Portugal con China, y concluye que aquellos juegan un papel importante que acentúa la autonomía de Macau como región especial de China. Palabras clave: autonomía, autonomía internacionalizada, derechos fundamentales, federalismo, regiones administrativas especiales de China, continuidad, declaración conjunta. * Artículo recibido el 2 de agosto de 2007 y aceptado el 22 de octubre de 2007. ** Senior Legal Adviser, Macau Legislative Assembly, Board of directors, IDICM. The opinions expressed here are solely those of the author and do not reflect the views of any institution to which he is affiliated. The author acknowledges the role of Professor Sophia Woodman in revising the text most especially dealing with the English language. This paper was originally made for the conference Comparative National Experiences of Autonomy Purpose, Structures and Institutions, as well as for the book that will follow it (Yash Ghai, ed.). * Nota: Debido que la traducción es automática podrá ser inexacta o contener errores.

Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Instituto de Investigaciones Jurídicas