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HONG KONG. THE NEW BANK OF CHINA BUILDING, WHICH DOMINATES CENTRAL MACAU AS MUCH AS THE I M PEI'S BANK OF CHINA BUILDING IN HONG KONG, IS DUE FOR ITS FORMAL OPENING NEXT WEEK IN A CEREMONY TO BE ATTENDED BY A NUMBER OF SENIOR VISITORS FROM CHINA. HALF A DOZEN MAJOR NEW HOTELS ARE OPENING DURING THE COURSE OF THIS YEAR.
5. IT IS EASY TO NEGLECT MACAU AND OF COURSE THE BRITISH INTERESTS THERE ARE VERY SMALL INDEED COMPARED WITH THOSE IN HONG KONG. NEVERTHELESS IT MERITS SOME OF OUR TIME AND ATTENTION BOTH BECAUSE OF THE PARALLEL CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENTS WITH HONG KONG, AND BECAUSE OF THE SPILL-OVER OF HONG KONG ECONOMY AND OTHER INTERESTS IN MACAU. NOT ONLY WILL IT BE IMPORTANT FOR MY SUCCESSOR TO CONTINUE TO GIVE MACAU SOME ATTENTION, AS HE CLEARLY WILL, BUT IT IS IMPORTANT, I SUGGEST THAT WE SHOULD CONTINUE FROM TIME TO TIME TO INCLUDE A VISIT TO MACAU IN THE PROGRAMME OF MINISTERS AND OTHER SENIOR VISITORS TO HONG KONG. IN THE LAST YEAR THE VISITS OF THE DUKE OF KENT AND OF LORD CAITHNESS MADE A CONSIDERABLE IMPACT, AS DID THAT OF MY MAUDE THE YEAR BEFORE. WHEREAS I WOULD NOT SUGGEST THAT MACAU BE INCLUDED IN THE PROGRAMME FOR MR GOODLAD'S FIRST VISIT NEXT MONTH, I HOPE IT WILL BE KEPT IN MIND AS A POSSIBILITY FOR A SUBSEQUENT OCCASION.
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CONFIDENTIAL