R655
CONFIDENTIAL
SKBY 2910002 JAN 79
FM LISBON 2908302 JAN 79
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
CONFIDENTIAL
12
HKCK ooo!!..
TELEGRAM NUMBER 33 OF 26 JANUARY
INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG
PEKING
IN
MY TELEGRAM NO 21 AND HONG KONG TELEGRAM NO 1741
SINO-PORTUGUESE RELATIONS.
1 IT IS CLEAR THAT THERE HAS BEEN A HITCH IN THE NEGOTIATIONS
TAKING PLACE IN PARIS. THE FOREIGN MINISTRY HAVE BEEN EXTREMELY
CAGEY ABOUT THIS AND NEITHER WE NOR THE AMERICANS HAVE SUCCEEDED
IN GETTING ANYTHING USEFUL OUT OF THEM. I THINK THIS IS BECAUSE
THEY ARE EMBARRASSED, HAVING BEEN OVER-RULED BY THE PRIME MINISTER.
2. THE NEWSPAPER EXPRESSO REPORTED ON 20 JANUARY THAT THE DELAY
IN RE-ESTABLISHING RELATIONS WAS BECAUSE THE PRIME MINISTER, WHO IS A PROFESSOR OF CONSTITUTIONAL LAW, HAD CONCLUDED THAT THE
TERMS OF THE PROPOSED COMMUNIQUE WERE INCOMPATIBLE WITH THE
CONSTITUTION. ACCORDING TO EXPRESSO UNDER THE PROPOSED COMMUNIQUE
THE PORTUGUESE WOULD HAVE REQUIRED TO REAFFIRM MARIO SOARES'S 1975 DECLARATION ON BEHALF OF THE THEN GOVERNMENT, IE TO RECOGNISE THE PEKING GOVERNMENT AS THE ONLY LEGITIMATE CHINESE AUTHORITY, TO RECOGNISE TAIWAN AS PART OF CHINA, AND TO AGREE THAT THE STATUS OF MACAO MIGHT BE THE SUBJECT OF NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN CHINA AND PORTUGAL WHEN BOTH GOVERNMENTS THOUGHT THE TIME OPPORTUNE.
THE PRIME MINISTER 16 REPORTED TO HAVE TAKEN EXCEPTION TO THE LAST PROVISION ON THE GROUNDS THAT UNDER THE CONSTITUTION IT IS LAID DOWN THAT MACAO IS A TERRITORY UNDER PORTUGUESE ADMINISTRATION
AND THAT CONSEQUENTLY ITS FUTURE STATUS CAN ONLY BE AFFECTED IF
THE CONSTITUTION IS REVISED. THEREFORE PORTUGAL COULD NOT
UNDERTAKE ANY OBLIGATIONS TO NEGOTIATE EVENTUALLY WITH ANOTHER COUNTRY ABOUT ITS STATUS, AND WOULD DO BEST NOT TO CONFIRM THE 1975 DECLARATION.
3. IN VIEW OF THE ABSENCE OF ANY USEFUL INFORMATION FROM THE FOREIGN MINISTRY I RAISED THE MATTER WITH THE PRIME MINISTER WHEN
I SAW HIM ON 25 JANUARY. HE TOLD ME THAT PORTUGAL WAS INTERESTED IN ESTABLISHING RELATIONS WITH CHINA IN THE LIGHT OF HER GREAT
CONFIDENTIAL
/IMPORTANCE