A natural alliance? A reappraisal of the Macanese-Portuguese response to the Canton-Hong Kong strike of 1925–6

Abstract Existing scholarship has long emphasized the so-called ‘natural alliance’ between the British in Hong Kong and the Portuguese in Macau during the 1925–6 Canton-Hong Kong strike. Drawing on multiple sources which have escaped scholarly attention so far, this article offers a more nuanced picture of the events of 1925–6. It is argued that the so-called alliance was neither natural nor straightforward. Instead, the Macanese government charted a middle course independent of the British, adopting a mixture of force and tact in dealing with Canton. In the event, the Macanese-Portuguese response worked remarkably well in safeguarding Portuguese rule in Macau. Several factors such as power dynamics between China and Portugal; pressure from the Portuguese community in Macau; and decisions made by Portuguese officials on the ground played an erstwhile neglected role in shaping the response of the Macanese government.