GR 180
CONFIDENTIAL
HKCK 200/1.
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG 251019Z JAN 79
TO PRIORITY FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
TELNO.174 OF 25 JANUARY,
INFO PRIORITY: LISBON, PEKING,
ROUTINE : HONG KONG GOVT OFFICE LONDON.
ป MY TELNO.114 : SINO-PORTUGUESE RELATIONS.
IND
No
22/2
1. ACCORDING TO INFORMATION FROM MACAU THE ESTABLISHMENT OF DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS BETWEEN PORTUGAL AND CHINA IS LIKELY TO BE DELAYED FOR A CONSIDERABLE TIME. THE REASON GIVEN IS THAT THE PORTUGUESE HAVE BAULKED AT THE INCLUSION OF A REFERENCE TO MACAU IN A DRAFT JOINT STATEMENT ON THE GROUNDS
THAT THIS WOULD REQUIRE CHANGES TO THE EXISTING CONSTITUTION.
2. PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE HAS SHOWN THAT REPORTS REACHING US VIA MACAU ARE OFTEN GARBLED, IT WOULD BE HELPFUL, AND MAY BE IMPORTANT, TO ESTABLISH THE REAL FACTS. WE HOPE THAT LISBON WILL BE ABLE TO DO SO.
3: WE NOTE THAT LAST JUNE DR SA MACHADO PROMISED THE SECRETARY
OF STATE THAT HE WOULD KEEP IN CLOSE TOUCH ON THIS MATTER (YOUR TELNO.514). HIS SUCCESSOR DOES NOT SEEM TO HAVE KEPT THIS
UNDERTAKING,
MACLEHOSE
FILES
FED HKQGD,
SED
IPD,
COPIES TO
HKGO. 6, GRAFTON ST. WI.
010
NEWS. D.
PS
P3 | LORD GORONKIY
PSÍPUS
SIER, HIBBERT MR MURRAY MR FERGUSSON
ROBERTS
CONFIDENTIAL