Tara Joseph Photo: A screenshot of CNBC Twitter account

Macao Secretary for Security said on Sunday any law enforcement regarding border controls aims to ensure security and stability of Macao in response to reports that two American business representatives from Hong Kong were recently denied entry into Macao. 

He made the remarks after media reported that Tara Joseph, President of the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham), and the group's chairman Robert Grieves, were both denied entry into Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR), a neighboring city of Hong Kong SAR on Saturday, on their way to an annual ball, Reuters reported. The reason for refusal was deemed to be unknown. 

While some reports suggested that the denial came after the chamber voiced opposition to the now-withdrawn extradition bill, which had sparked months of anti-government protests in Hong Kong, and the US authorities passed the so-called Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act of 2019, outraging Chinese authorities as the act seriously violated the fundamentals of international relations. 

When asked about the matter, Secretary for Security Wong Sio Chak of Macao SAR told local newspapers that according to the Macao National Security Law, Macao police have the obligation to ensure the security of the city, including border controls. 

The only consideration by law enforcement in Macao was "security risk" and threats to Macao stability, Wong was cited by the Macao Daily News as saying.   

And who they are and whatever their positions are are not considered, Wong said.  

According to the official website of AmCham Hong Kong, Tara Joseph has been president of AmCham Hong Kong since February 2017. She previously worked as a correspondent for Reuters and has more than 15 years of experience working in Asia. On her Twitter account, she also shared some interview clips with CNBC when she praised the suspension of the proposed extradition bill, stating it was a "step in the right direction." 

December 20 marks the twentieth anniversary of Macao's return to the motherland, and the timing now is very sensitive considering months of social unrest in Hong Kong, noted Lau Siu-kai, Vice-President of the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macao Studies. "Macao would hold very cautious attitudes toward some Hongkongers and also foreigners from Hong Kong in terms of border entry, to avoid any chaos at such a sensitive time," he said.

As a neighboring city to Hong Kong, Macao pays close attention to anti-government protests there, and some senior officials of Macao, who talked with the Global Times in earlier interviews, said that it should prevent the same thing happening in Macao. 

"To avoid any illegal activities occurring in Macao, authorities follow regulations and law in issuing entry denial," Li Haidong, a professor at the China Foreign Affairs University's Institute of International Relations, told the Global Times.
Newspaper headline: Entry denial aims to ensure Macao security at sensitive time