GR 470 PRIORITY
MER CAT A
CONFIDENTIAL
AKKOLO),
الاول
FM HONG KONG 150450Z
CONFIDENTIAL
RECEIVKA ATT MEGISTRY NO. 51 17 JUL 1978
DEAK OFFICER
RE
BDEX
TO PRIORITY F C O TELNO 888 OF 15 JULY 1978 No
INFO PRIORITY PEKING, LISBON,
FROM POLITICAL ADVISER.
See
Acti
YOUR TELNO 537 AND PEKING TELNO 429 TO FCO: HONG KONG AND MACAU.
1 SPOKE YESTERDAY AS AGREED TO THE GOVERNOR OF MACAU. LEANDRO SAID THAT HE HAD HEARD NOTHING ABOUT ANY RECENT REQUEST BY THE CHINESE FOR AN ASSURANCE THAT PORTUGAL CONSIDERED MACAU TO BE CHINESE TERRITORY. HE WAS SURPRISED TO HEAR WHAT DR SA MACHADO HAD SAID TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE, HIS OWN VIEW WAS THAT THE CHINESE WOULD NOT WISH TO DO ANYTHING AT PRESENT TO UPSET THE STATUS QUO. THE ONLY PRIVATE ASSURANCE THEY MIGHT REQUIRE BEFORE
ESTABLISHING RELATIONS WAS THAT PORTUGAL WOULD NOT (REPEAT NOT) SEEK TO HAND BACK MACAU, HIS PERSONAL FEAR WAS THAT POLITICIANS IN LISBON, WHO DID NOT UNDERSTAND THE LOCAL SCENE, MIGHT GO FURTHER
THAN NECESSARY IN MAKING STATEMENTS ABOUT MACAU. HE THOUGHT THE STATEMENT OF JANUARY 1975 (PARA 3 OF LISBON TELNO 231 TO FCO) WAS SUCH AN EXAMPLE AND HE HAD OFFERED HIS RESIGNATION AT THE TIME.
2. LEANDRO SAID THAT HE HAD BEEN PLANNING TO RETURN TO LISBON FOR SOME TIME TO TALK ABOUT BANKING PROBLEMS. HE HAD ALSO BEEN TOLD THAT HE WOULD HAVE TO DISCUSS THE QUESTION OF DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS AND EXPECTED TO BE BROUGHT UP TO DATE ON THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS WHEN HE GOT TO LISBON. HE PLANNED TO BE AWAY ABOUT TWO WEEKS AND WOULD BE HAPPY TO CLARIFY WHAT THE CHINESE HAD SAID WHEN HE
RETURNED.
3. LEANDRO'S REMARKS THUS SERVE ONLY TO CONFUSE THE ISSUE. IT IS
POSSIBLE THAT HIS FOREIGN MINISTRY HAVE NOT YET TOLD HIM WHAT THEY HAVE SAID TO US. IT IS VERY ODD HOWEVER THAT HE IS EITHER UNAWARE, OR CONCEALING HIS KNOWLEDGE, OF THE STORY REPORTED IN MY TELNO 262. IT SEEMS THAT INTERNAL PORTUGUESE OR MACANESE POLITICAL SQUABBLES ARE ALSO INVOLVED IN THE ISSUE. IF SO, WE ARE
LIKELY TO PICK UP A DISTORTED PICTURE HERE AND WE RISK FURTHER MUDDYING THE WATERS IF WE PROBE TOO MUCH.
CONFIDENTIAL
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14.