SECRET
INWARD TELEGRAM ·
TO THE COMMONWEALTH OFFICE (The Secretary of State)
FROM HONG KONG (Sir D. Trench)
Cypher
Do
24th January, 1967.
08.45 hrs.
Ro 24th
PRIORITY
SECRET
Jas
36
An
RECEIVED IN
No. 63
No. 103.
Addressed to Commonwealth Office (D.T.D.).
Repeated
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"Peking No. 45.
" Washington No. 30.
" POLAD Singapore No. 22. "Bangkok No. 7.
"Lisbon No. M57.
HWB 3/3
(Please pass PRIORITY to
Bangkok, ROUTINE to the rest).
LAST
BEF
NEXT
REF.
My immediately preceding telegram.
Macao.
Situation remains very confused. It seems clear that discussions now centre on the wording of the Portuguese draft of the apology.
there is now only one major drafting point left for settlement; but local press today reporta the Macao All Circles Delegation as having said on 23rd January that six points are outstanding. A further meeting between the Governor and the Delegation has been fixed for this afternoon, 24th January.
2. Position is likely to be complicated by arrival yesterday in Macao via Hong Kong of three senior Portuguese representatives, viz Dr. Hallthemido, Director General of the Overseas Ministry; Dr. Ribiero Cunha, a senior official of the Ministry; and Commodore Pedro Correira Barros, a former Governor of Macao and Mozambique. It seems possible that they will take a more rigid line, at any rate initially, than the Governor; but we have as yet no reason to believe that the Chinese will be prepared to negotiate directly with them. No mention of their arrival is made in Hong Kong left-wing press today.
30 Meanwhile the All Circles Delegation are reported by the press to be continuing with their much publicised plans for a boycott of the Portuguese (see my immediately preceding telegram). On 22nd January four Chinese gunboats repeated their sortie into Portuguese Territorial Waters close inshore of the harbour.
40 Nevertheless, although the Chinese have delivered a number of ultimata during the week, they have all been extended for varying periods. The Hong Kong left-wing press continues to play the matter relatively quietly. (Passed as requested)
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