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AMENDED DISTRIBUTION 7 MARCH 1984 S.OLI
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FM HONG KONG 07020OZ MAR 84
TO PRIORITY F C O
TELEGRAM NUMBER 599 OF 7 MARCH
INFO PRIORITY PEKING AND LISBON.
-&NAR 1984
ш
for
FCO TELNO 32 TO LISBON: FUTURE OF HONG KONG : MACAU
I SAW THE GOVERNOR OF MACAU FOR ABOUT AN HOUR ON 3 MARCH.
THE GREATER PART OF THE DISCUSSION WAS TAKEN UP WITH AN ACCOUNT
BY THE GOVERNOR OF MACAU OF THE DISPUTE BETWEEN HIMSELF AND THE
MACAU LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY.
2. BEFORE BRINGING REAR ADMIRAL ALMEIDA E COSTA UP TO DATE ON THE
TALKS, I REFERRED TO THE TABLING OF THE MOTION FOR DEBATE IN LEGCO ON 14 MARCH, AND SAID THAT IT HAD BEEN AN INITIATIVE BY THE
UNOFFICIALS, NOT INSTIGATED BY THE GOVERNMENT: AND THAT IT WAS
PROCEDURAL IN THAT THE SUBJECT OF THE DEBATE WAS THE NEED FOR
DISCUSSION BEFORE ANY AGREEMENT WAS CONCLUDED. THE CHINESE HAD
INDICATED THAT THEY DID NOT LIKE THIS DEVELOPMENT, BUT THE IR
OBJECTIONS HAD NOT SO FAR BEEN STRONGLY VOICED, AND MIGHT NOT BE
LONG-LASTING. THE CHINESE WOULD NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT WE COULD
NOT, AND DID NOT WISH TO, PREVENT PEOPLE IN HONG KONG FROM
EXPRESSING THEIR VIEWS.
3. EMPHASISING AGAIN THAT THIS WAS FOR HIS STRICTLY PERSONAL
INFORMATION, I MADE THE FOLLOWING POINTS TO REAR ADMIRAL
ALMEIDA E COSTA:
(A) WE HAD ARRIVED AT A FORMULA WITH THE CHINESE ON THE BASIS OF
WHICH WE HAD BEEN ABLE TO PURSUE A DISCUSSION OF POSSIBLE
ARRANGEMENTS POST 1997. WHILE WE HAD FIRMLY RESERVED OUR
POSITION AS A WHOLE, WE WERE EXPLORING WITH THE CHINESE HOW
THEIR PLAN FOR HONG KONG POST 1997 MIGHT WORK. IF ON THIS
BASIS ARRANGEMENTS COULD BE FOUND WHICH WOULD BE ACCEPTABLE, THEN HMG WOULD BE PREPARED TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO
PARLIAMENT AS THE BASIS OF AN AGREEMENT: BUT HMG COULD NOT
COMMIT PARLIAMENT.
(B) THE CHINESE HAD AGREED TO DISCUSS FUTURE ARRANGEMENTS ON THAT
BASIS, AND WE HAD SUBMITTED A NUMBER OF WORKING PAPERS ON
ELEMENTS OF THE PRESENT SYSTEM IN HONG KONG IN ORDER TO ESTABLISH
WHAT THE CHINESE MEANT WHEN THEY SAID THAT THE SYSTEMS IN
HONG KONG WOULD REMAIN UNCHANGED. ALTHOUGH THE CHINESE
MAINTAINED THEIR POSITION OF PRINCIPLE THAT THEY WOULD
NEGOTIATE WITH US ONLY ABOUT BRITISH INTERESTS, AND OTHER
MATTERS WERE FOR THEM TO DECIDE, IN PRACTICE THEY WERE PREPARED
TO DISCUSS THEIR PROPOSED FUTURE ARRANGEMENTS. IN SOME AREAS
OUR VIEWS AND THEIRS COINCIDED. IN OTHER IMPORTANT AREAS, FOR EXAMPLE THE PUBLIC SERVICE, FURTHER DISCUSSION WAS STILL NEEDED.
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