Abstract: Macao is a successful epitome of the Chinese “One Country, Two Systems” Policy. The popularization of Putonghua in Macao exert great influence upon the making and implementation in of language policy China. Given the leading role that government officials play in the Macao social development, and out of political, economic and cultural consideration, it is of much importance to conduct an comprehensive and detailed investigation upon the language needs and Putonghua use of Macao government officials. This investigation has generally explored Macao government officials’ language competence and their attitude towards Mandarin study. Meanwhile, this paper also points out the major problems remained in the current Putonghua of Putonghua usage in Macao, and makes corresponding suggestions for improvement. The results of this investigation are expected to shed light upon the stipulation of Mandarin study policy and the social as well as cultural development in Macao.

Key words: Macao, government officials, Putonghua usage