Letter from Macao: The New Yorker 1951

"This Portugues colony on the South China coast is made up of a three-mile peninsula and two small islands and is 35 miles below Hong Kong. 

Its neutrality plays a big part in its activities. Much smuggling is going on and is linked with the Communist issue-they bring oil and gasoline from Hong Kong to Macao, for later sale in Red China. 

Gold comes in and is sent on to Hong Kong. Macao was founded around 1557. It is the Church's beachhead in East Asia. The most striking symbol of today's neutrality is the post office schedule listing closing time of mails to Portugal by different routes, including by rail across Siberia. Also American salesmanship has promoted American products like Coca Cola and Kleenex. 

There is not much industry-the real thing is the rackets. Gambling goes on all the time; opium can be smoked without much trouble. (...)"

Excerto de artigo da autoria de Christopher Rand publicado na edição da The New Yorker de 17 de Novembro de 1951.