Misy Major

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Miss R Marsden

Hong Kong Department

FCO

CONFIDENTIAL

HKB 020 i 4

Dear Rosalind,

HONG KONG/MACAU

British Embassy Lisbon

18 October 1989

CL. Mr McLaren

By noted.

2 months.

RM 23/10

1. I had lunch with Caterino on 6 October and briefed him about our recent JLG meeting along the lines of your telno 820 to Tokyo. I also reiterated Robin McLaren's invitation to Caterino

Caterino to visit London to compare notes about JLG work.

apologised for dragging his feet on this (you will recall that he had earlier told me that he would not be able to visit until next year). The problem was that he had to clear every move he made with both the President's and the Prime Minister's office, as well as the Foreign Minister. Both the President and the Prime Minister were very jealous of their prerogatives over Macau, and this made Caterino very cautious about any initiative. Caterino said that he would nevertheless look again at how quickly he could visit London.

2. I asked Caterino how he or his successor would manage such delicate politics if the head of the Portuguese side of the JLG was moved to Macau. Caterino said that it would be very difficult. He himself thought that the senior representative of the JLG should continue to work from Lisbon for as long as possible. He pointed out that Tony Galsworthy had only recently been posted to Hong Kong. If the Portuguese were to follow our practice, Caterino would be in Lisbon for another 2 years by which time he rather hoped that he would be due for a move to some other type of work!

Yours fur, John

JS Buck

First Secretary and Head of Chancery

DJ Martin Esq, UKREP JLG, Hong Kong

CONFIDENTIAL

Now that nur G. is i- HK, I wonder it

This is recenay.

fa fuali

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