CODE 18-77
CONFIDENTIAL
HKC
020/3
Reference
(16
Minute
Consul General
MACAU NOTES
Бис
Mr Rid
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Hance 1/5.
Mr Stone (parc. 3)
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1.
I have had meetings in Macau in the last 10 days with Jose Fonseca (Diplomatic Adviser), Jorge Rangel (Under Secretary for Administration), Vitor Pessoa (Under Secretary for Economic Affairs) and Susana Chou (Legislative Assembly and Novel Enterprises; Rod Wye was also present for this meeting). Some points are worth recording together.
2.
JOINT LIAISON GROUP
300/10
Fonseca thought the last JLG had a better atmosphere than previous ones and (like Catarino in Lisbon's 261 of 7 April) thought acceptance by China of Portugal's draft ASA was a definite step forward. Membership of international organisation was going slowly and this was being handled by Rui Santos (of the Governor's office in Macau, and formerly with him in the Azores). Fonseca said Catarino and the Governor saw eye to eye on things, and that (unlike in Melancia's time) there was no longer a division between Macau and Portugal in approach. Catarino's absence from Macau remained a problem; it was clear that he did not meet Kang Jemin as often as Tony Galsworthy does Guo Fengmin. Fonseca hinted Catarino would move soon and that his successor would be based in Macau.
3.
LOCALISATION
There are two schools of thought amongst the Portuguese. The energetic, epitomised by Rangel, is that a lot has to be done fast in order to create the conditions for continuity. Otherwise the post 1999 Macau government will be the shambles that China fears and there will be no-one trained in Portugal (and speaking portuguese) left in the government. It will be Mozambique and Angola again, without the civil war but without the preservation of language either. The other school of thought, to which Fonseca belongs in his heart if not his head, is that there simply are no capable young chinese. China's continued call for localisation is irritating, and it's their problem anyway. Macau will be swallowed up, and the only hope is that the Orient Foundation can buy and preserve as many old buildings as possible. That is the only realistic legacy. It's all a great shame, but what can be done? The Governor is with Rangel, but most of the rest think like Fonseca. I suspect that progress will be made, but too little too late. All will depend on a few able individuals, and whether they stay.
/4.
CONFIDENTIAL