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MDLIAN 4076
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FM LISBON
TO ROUTINE FCO
TELNO 380
OF 030636Z DECEMBER 1993
INFO ROUTINE PEKING, HONG KONG, OTHER EC POSTS
Ни
HUD 021/4
- 3 DEC 1993
OUR TELNO 377: VISIT BY PRESIDENT JIANG ZEMIN TO PORTUGAL
SUMMARY
MFA INSIST THAT JIANG ZEMIN'S VISIT WAS NOT OFFICIAL. NO CONCRETE RESULTS OVER MACAU ACHIEVED, BUT THE PORTUGUESE PLEASED AT DEVELOPMENT OF CLOSER RELATIONSHIP WITH CHINESE LEADERSHIP.
DETAIL
2. AT THE MFA BRIEFING FOR EC EMBASSIES ON JIANG ZEMIN'S VISIT, OFFICIALS WERE AT PAINS TO EMPHASISE THAT THE PORTUGUESE GOVERNMENT DID NOT REGARD THE VISIT AS HAVING AN OFFICIAL CHARACTER. HOWEVER IMPLAUSIBLY, THEY INSISTED IT WAS A TECHNICAL STOP-OVER, AT CHINESE REQUEST, BETWEEN JIANG ZEMIN'S VISITS TO CUBA AND BRAZIL AND HIS RETURN TO PEKING. IN AGREEING TO THE VISIT, THE PORTUGUESE HAD ALSO TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION THE FACT THAT OTHER WESTERN LEADERS (EG PRESIDENT CLINTON IN SEATTLE) HAD HAD CONTACT WITH JIANG AND THAT RELATIONS WITH CHINA WERE OF GREAT IMPORTANCE FOR PORTUGAL IN
ORDER NOT TO PREJUDICE THE TRANSFER OF MACAU'S SOVEREIGNTY.
THE
3.
THE MFA CONFIRMED THE IMPRESSION OF A VISIT LACKING SUBSTANCE WITH BOTH SIDES ANXIOUS NOT TO DO ANYTHING TO UPSET THE OTHER.
DISCUSSION WITH PRESIDENT SOARES HAD MAINLY CONCENTRATED ON MACAU. SOARES SOUGHT (BUT DID NOT GET) AN ASSURANCE THAT MACAU WOULD CONTINUE TO BE A PLURALIST AND OPEN SOCIETY AFTER THE TRANSITION. HE ALSO RAISED HUMAN RIGHTS (THOUGH WITHOUT PRESSING THE ISSUE) TO
WHICH JIANG ZEMIN RESPONDED BY REFERRING TO CHINA'S DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES AND PRIORITIES FROM THE WEST. SOARES RAISED TIMOR. JIANG LISTENED. THE PORTUGUESE REALISE THAT CHINA IS UNLIKELY TO CHAMPION THEIR CAUSE OVER TIMOR. SOARES ACCEPTED AN INVITATION TO
VISIT CHINA IN 1994.
4.
DISCUSSIONS WITH CAVACO SILVA CENTRED MAINLY ON BILATERAL COMMERCIAL RELATIONS. CAVACO SILVA ALSO TOLD JIANG ZEMIN ABOUT DEVELOPMENTS IN THE EU POST-MAASTRICHT. CAVACO SILVA CONFIRMED HIS INTENTION TO VISIT CHINA CHE HAD PREVIOSLY ACCEPTED AN INVITATION).
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