4 4 5 3
WCLASSIFIED
FM LISBON 081740Z FEB 79
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
56 OF 8 FEBRUARY
Closval Portugal
ELEGRAM NUMBER
INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG
PRIORITY PEKING
ROUTINE WASHINGTON
UKMIS NEW YORK
UKDEL NATO
HY TEL 33*
SINO PORTUGUESE RELATIONS.
1. THE PRIME MINISTER CALLED A PRESS CONFERENCE AT NOON TODAY TO ANNOUNCE THAT PORTUGAL AND CHINA HAD AGREED TO ESTABLISH DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WITH IMMEDIATE EFFECT.
MUNIQUE
2 UNOFFICIAL TRANSLATION OF A JOINT COMMUNIQUE ISSUED TODAY IS AS FOLLOWS:-
BEGINS
"'. THE GOVERNMENTS OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA AND THE
REPUBLIC OF PORTUGAL HAVE DECIDED TO ESTABLISH DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS
AT AMBASSADORIAL LEVEL AS FROM 8 FEBRUARY 1979 AND TO EXCHANGE
AMBASSADORS WITHIN A PERIOD OF THREE MONTHS.
THE TWO GOVERNMENTS WILL MAINTAIN DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS IN CONFORM-
ITY WITH THE PRINCIPLES OF MUTUAL RESPECT FOR SOVEREIGNTY AND
TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY, OF NON-INTERFERENCE IN INTERNAL AFFAIRS, OF EQUALITY, AND OF RECIPROCAL BENEFITS.
THE GOVERNMENT OF THE PORTUGUESE REPUBLIC RECOGNISES THE GOVERN-
PENT OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA AS THE SOLE LEGAL GOVERNMENT OF CHINA, AND TAIWAN AS A CONSTITUENT PART OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA, THE GOVERNMENT OF THE PORTUGUESE REPUBLIC DECLARES THAT
DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WITH TAIWAN HAVE BEEN SEVERED SINCE JANUARY 1975.
/ THE CHINESE