CONFIDENTIAL FM HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY FCO TELNO 771
OF 06100OZ MARCH 89
INFO PRIORITY LISBON
INFO ROUTINE PEKING
CONFIDENTIAL
HKB 020/4
5
004623 MDLIAN 2641
VISIT BY THE PRESIDENT OF PORTUGAL
1. I MET THE PRESIDENT, DR SOARES, FOR AN HOUR'S DISCUSSION FOLLOWED BY LUNCH ON 4 MARCH. HE WAS ACCOMPANIED BY VICE PRIME MINISTER ENRICO DE MELO, THE PORTUGUESE CONSUL-GENERAL AND THREE PORTUGUESE OFFICIALS.
2. IT BECAME CLEAR THAT THE PURPOSE OF THE PRESIDENT'S CALL WAS A GENERAL DISCUSSION OF RELATIONS BETWEEN CHINA, MACAU AND HONG KONG. THE PORTUGUESE TEAM'S KNOWLEDGE OF DEVELOPMENTS IN CHINA SEEMED FAIRLY SCANT. THE MAIN POINTS THAT AROSE WERE:
(A) THE PRESIDENT AND VICE PRIME MINISTER HAD CHOSEN TO VISIT MACAU TOGETHER NOW AS A DEMONSTRATION OF PORTUGUESE COMMITMENT TO MACAU'S FUTURE (SINCE THE PRESIDENT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE GOVERNMENT OF MACAU AND THE PRIME MINISTER AND HIS GOVERNMENT FOR THE WORK OF THE SINO-PORTUGUESE JLG). THE VISIT HAD GONE WELL. THE PORTUGUESE WERE COMMITTED TO ENSURING MACAU'S CONTINUED ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT (EG NEW AIRPORT, PORT, HOSPITALS): THE MAINTENANCE OF PORTUGUESE LANGUAGE AND CULTURE WOULD ALSO CONTRIBUTE TO MACAU'S CONTINUED SEPARATE IDENTITY
AFTER ITS REVERSION TO CHINA IN 1999.
(B) WE SPOKE BRIEFLY ABOUT PORTUGUESE POLICY ON THE ISSUE OF PORTUGUESE PASSPORTS IN MACAU. SOARES INDICATED THAT BEYOND THE EXISTING 80,000 PASSPORT HOLDERS NEW PASSPORTS WOULD BE ISSUED SPARINGLY IN FUTURE, AND ON A (QUOTE) CASE BY CASE (UNQUOTE) BASIS. IN SOARES' VIEW POSSESSION OF A PORTUGUESE PASSPORT AS AN INSURANCE
POLICY WAS MORE LIKELY TO ENCOURAGE MACAU RESIDENTS TO STAY IN THE
ENCLAVE THAN TO HAVE THE REVERSE EFFECT.
(C) WE AGREED THAT HONG KONG AND MACAU HAD MANY INTERESTS IN COMMON
AND SHOULD WORK FOR A CLOSER RELATIONSHIP IN FUTURE.
WILSON