CONFIDENTIAL
of these at "unfrozen" rates which has been the main difficulty for
the UK in agreeing to open negotiations on a comprehensive agreement.
Talks,
without commitment on an agreement, were held between the
10 May. DHSS officials
DHSS and Portuguese officials in London on 9
ވނ
new intend to seek their Ministers' approval to negotiations with
Portugal with th aim of concludă an agreement within 12 months
(there would be phased "unfreezing" of pensions). But it would be
premature to inform the Portuguese Government or the British community
in Portugal of this during Mr Judd's visit.
Macao Airport
9. In November 1976, the Portuguese requested the British Government's
agreement to discussions between the Hong Kong and Macao authorities about
the proposal to build an international airport at Macao. Col Leandro,
Governor of Macao, seems to be the main driving force behind the
proposal. The FCO replied that while construction of an airport was
primarily a domestic matter for Macao, it had obvious and significant
implications for the Hong Kong Government's current and future
provision off air services, not least in the co-ordination of air traffic
control. The FCO would be happy for the Hong Kong and Macao authorities
to discuss those implications but considered it would be premature o
deo until the attitude of the People's Republic of China towards thre
proposal had been formally ascertained.
10.
tor
subsequently
The Portuguese Ambassador in London specifieally expressed his own
we Sand reservations about the viability of the Macao proposal and indicated
that the lack of diplomatic relations between Portugal and the PRC
to Sotari
br PRC views to be obtained.
might make it difficult
for
Shirere Chap
for
reasons of Anglo-Portuguese relations and Hong Kong/Macao relations, the
FCO would prefer that the proposal founder on PRC rather than British
plear
or Hong Kong objections, and consider the Portuguese could obtain
PRC Chinese views if they wanted,
their authorities that we look to them to establish WEEK/the Chinese
Ehas been porterited to the Portuguese Fabory
wirere
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regard
We will merepie
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