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MDHIAN 9386
QUESTION OF THE ISSUING OF IDENTITY CARDS IN MACAU, THOUGH HE DID NOT SEEM TO THINK THEY WERE ANY NEARER AGREEMENT ON THIS POINT. THE PORTUGUESE WISHED TO ISSUE IDENTITY CARDS WITH A UNIFORM FORMAT TO COVER PORTUGUESE CITIZENS, FOREIGN RESIDENTS AND LOCAL CHINESE. IT WAS IMPORTANT TO THE PORTUGUESE AND MACANESE THAT THEY COULD HAVE A DOCUMENT ISSUED BY THE PORTUGUESE AUTHORITIES JUST AS ANY OTHER PORTUGUESE CITIZEN HAD. THE CHINESE, HOWEVER, WERE RELUCTANT FOR CHINESE CITIZENS TO HOLD IDENTITY CARDS CARRYING PORTUGUESE INSIGNIA. THE QUESTION WAS AN IMPORTANT ONE FOR THE PORTUGUESE AND THEY HAD USED THE CONFIDENCE ARGUMENT STRONGLY, BUT HE COULD NOT PREDICT THE OUTCOME. WE HAD A BRIEF DISCUSSION ON NATIONALITY AT WHICH CATARINO CONFIRMED THAT THE PORTUGUESE SAW NO HOPE OF PERSUADING THE CHINESE TO TREAT ETHNIC CHINESE BORN IN MACAU WHO CARRIED PORTUGUESE PASSPORTS SOLELY AS PORTUGUESE CITIZENS.
4
6.
NEITHER
I ASKED ABOUT DEVELOPMENTS CONCERNING THE BASIC LAW. CATARINO NOR RAMOS SEEMED TO HAVE A PARTICULAR GRASP OF THIS SUBJECT, THOUGH CATARINO SAID THERE HAD BEEN SOME EXCHANGES DURING HIS PRIVATE SESSIONS WITH AMBASSADOR KANGJIMIN. HE ADMITTED THAT THEY HAD ALSO HAD EXCHANGES ON THE GENERAL STATUTE (THE ORGANIC LAW) FOR MACAU WHICH WAS, OF COURSE, AN INTERNAL MATTER FOR PORTUGAL AND THEREFORE FAIRLY SENSITIVE. THE CHINESE REMAIN SUSPICIOUS ABOUT THE REFORMS BEING PUT FORWARD, IN PARTICULAR THE CREATION OF NEW DEPUTY GOVERNOR POSTS TO COVER SECURITY AND TRANSITIONAL ARRANGEMENTS. THERE HAD ALSO BEEN SOME DISCUSSION OF THE INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY WHICH IS BEING INCREASED FROM 17 TO 23 WITH 2 EXTRA MEMBERS EACH FOR THE DIRECTLY ELECTED SECTION, THE FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCY SECTION AND THE APPOINTED SECTION. CATARINO SEEMED FAIRLY CONFIDENT THAT THIS LAST POINT WOULD NOT CAUSE THE CHINESE TOO MUCH DIFFICULTY. UNLIKE IN HONG KONG THEY HAD GROWN ACCUSTOMED TO THE DIRECTLY ELECTED SECTOR IN THE MACAU ASSEMBLY. THERE HAD BEEN SOME DISCUSSION AS TO HOW THE CHANGES WOULD BE IMPLEMENTED AND THE PORTUGUESE HAD EXPLAINED THAT THEY WOULD LEAVE THIS TO THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY ITSELF. THEY WERE UNWILLING TO DELAY THE INCREASE UNTIL THE NEXT SCHEDULED ELECTIONS IN 3 YEARS TIME, SINCE MEMBERS OF THE ASSEMBLY WERE ALREADY HEAVILY BURDENED WITH WORK AND REINFORCEMENT OF THEIR NUMBERS WAS NECESSARY. THE CHINESE HAD BEEN NERVOUS ABOUT POSSIBLE AMENDMENTS DURING THE CONSTITUTIONAL PROCESS REQUIRED IN PORTUGAL FOR PASSING THE GENERAL STATUTE AND THE PORTUGUESE HAD NEEDED TO EXPLAIN CAREFULLY THE PROCESS THE ASSEMBLY OF THE REPUBLIC HAD TO GO THROUGH BEFORE THE STATUTE COULD BE
PASSED.
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