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Washington, Oct. 27 (CNA) If Beijing claims that what it learned in Hong Kong ensures the success of the "one country, two systems" formula in Taiwan, then perhaps what Communist China learns in Macao in adopting the same formula can also be applied in Tibet and Xinjiang, argued an American Asia specialist Wednesday.

Mark Moore, a research associate at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies recently wrote that because of certain similarities to minority communities on the mainland, Macao's return to Chinese sovereignty on Dec. 20 might prove a unique lens through which to foresee how Beijing could someday apply a "one country, two systems" policy to Tibet and Xinjiang.

In his article in the recent issue of "Hong Kong Update," Moore said the two unique religious and cultural groups found on the mainland, Buddhist Tibetans and Muslim Uighers, have been a constant source of irritation to the Communist Chinese government. Separatist movements have arisen in Tibet and Xinjiang and the regions are usually mentioned as the most likely dominoes that could fall should Taiwan succeed in its claims for independence.

The Tibetan's and Uigher's long-standing disagreement is based on the limitations on freedom of language and religion imposed by Beijing. An interesting contradiction emerges when one compares Macao's Basic Law with long-standing language policies in Tibet and Xinjiang, pointed out Moore.

Macao's Basic Law states that both Portuguese and Chinese will be official languages even though less than ten percent of the population of 450,000 is Portuguese. And of the estimated 88,000 students enrolled in secondary and primary schools there, more than 40,000 are attending and will continue to attend Catholic schools, resulting in Catholicism retaining some measure of social significance, wrote the specialist

Moore stressed that if Beijing boasts Macao is a second testament to the "one country, two systems" formula's success, then perhaps Tibet and Xinjiang can view language and religious tolerance in Macao with hope.

"The argument can be made that if Beijing claims what it learned in Hong Kong ensures success in Taiwan, then perhaps what it learns in Macao can also be applied in Tibet and Xinjiang," Moore concluded. (By Nelson Chung)