Mr Hum
CONFIDENTIAL
сл
Peking
pa
FROM: D C Wilson
मु%
DATE:
12 June 1986
CC:
FED
Cro 12/
Political Adviser,
HONG KONG
2.
refer
MACAU:
NEGOTIATIONS ABOUT THE FUTURE
1. I had a brief word with Zhou Nan about Macau at last night's dinner for the Prime Minister. I started by saying that I hoped that, although he and Ke Zaishuo would be heavily engaged with the negotiations on the future of Macau from the end of this month, this would not detract from the time they spent on the problems of Hong Kong. People in Hong Kong would watch with great interest the negotiations about Macau. They would compare word for word any arrangements reached over Macau with the Joint Declaration on Hong Kong. They would expect broadly the same solution for Macau as for Hong Kong.
2.
Zhou Nan said that despite the negotiations over Macau, he recognised that Hong Kong was the more important issue. He realised that people in Hong Kong would be watching closely what was done over Macau. Fortunately, the Macau negotiations would be made simpler by the existence of a blue print provided by the Hong Kong Joint Declaration.
3. Zhou asked if I had any advice for the Macau negotiations. I said that, apart from the need to pay close attention to the Hong Kong angle, the only practical advice I could give was that the working group formula had proved a very practical way of negotiating the text of an agreement. Zhou agreed: China would be
ready to use the same approach with Portugal if the Portuguese wished.
4.
Zhou asked me whether the Portuguese had consulted us for advice. I said that I had had some discussions with the previous Administration but none with the present. If the Portuguese asked, I would similarly advise them that the working group method was a very practical way forward. What other advice should I give to the Portuguese? Zhou said that I should say that the Chinese would always be "reasonable" (I smiled); they would be prepared to take full account of the national sensitivities of a small country like Portugal on the assumption that Portugal would similarly take full account of Chinese sensitivities. I said that if the Portuguese asked me about the Chinese position, I would pass on what he had said.
HKK02013
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
2 0 JUN 1986
PA
TRY
CONFIDENTIAL
D C Wilson
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