40
001374 MDLIAN 3112
RESTRICTED
FM HONG KONG
TO ROUTINE FCO
TELNO 2917
OF 180745Z DECEMBER 92
RESTRICTED
020/3
ہمیر
Максия
INFO ROUTINE PEKING, LISBON, WASHINGTON, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
CORRECTION TO PARAGRAPH 1.
WASHINGTON PLEASE PASS COPY TO HK ECONOMIC AND TRADE OFFICE
APEC MEMBERSHIP
1
"
CALLED
ALBUQUERQUE, PORTUGUESE CONSUL-GENERAL IN HONG KONG, ON THE SECRETARY FOR TRADE AND INDUSTRY ON 16 DECEMBER TO SEEK OUR SUPPORT FOR MACAU'S APPLICATION TO JOIN APEC AND OUR ADVICE ON HOW MACAU SHOULD HANDLE ITS APPLICATION. ACCORDING TO ALBUQUERQUE, THE CHINESE HAD INDICATED SUPPORT WHEN THE SUBJECT WAS RAISED AT A RECENT SINO-PORTUGUESE JLG HELD IN PEKING. HE SAID THAT THE CASE FOR MACAU'S MEMBERSHIP WAS COMPELLING BECAUSE IT WAS THE ONLY PART OF 'GREATER CHINA' WHICH WAS STILL NOT AN APEC MEMBER.
2. WE SAID THAT MACAU COULD COUNT ON OUR SUPPORT BUT POINTED OUT THAT APEC DECISIONS WERE MADE BY CONSENSUS. MACAU WOULD THEREFORE NEED TO LOBBY ALL THE OTHER APEC MEMBERS. IT WAS CLEARLY DESIRABLE FOR SUCH LOBBYING TO BE CARRIED OUT BY THE MACAU AUTHORITIES THEMSELVES AND NOT BY PORTUGAL ON BEHALF OF MACAU.
3.
WE TOLD ALBUQUERQUE THAT IT WOULD BE INADVISABLE FOR MACAU TO USE THE 'GREATER CHINA' ARGUMENT. ONE REASON WAS THAT IT WOULD NOT GO DOWN WELL AMONG THE ASEAN COUNTRIES. THEY HAD NEVER BEEN KEEN TO ADMIT THE SO-CALLED 'THREE CHINESE ECONOMIES' OF HONG KONG, CHINA AND TAIWAN INTO APEC BUT HAD TO ACCEPT THE THREE WHEN SOUTH KOREA MANAGED TO FULFIL THE MANDATE GIVEN TO IT AT THE 1990 SINGAPORE APEC MINISTERIAL MEETING (I.E. TO CONSULT WITH THE THREE WITH A VIEW TO THEIR SIMULTANEOUS ENTRY INTO APEC AT THE 1991 SEOUL MINISTERIAL). ANOTHER REASON WAS THAT THE TERM 'GREATER CHINA' WOULD BE OFFENSIVE TO THE PRC BECAUSE IT IMPLIED THAT HONG KONG, TAIWAN AND MACAU WERE NOT A PART OF CHINA.
4.
WE TOLD ALBUQUERQUE THAT ONE IMPORTANT MEMBERSHIP CRITERION
1
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