SECRET
dinner for the Chinese Foreign Minister on 18 March, Emrys Davies asked him what he thought about the rumours concerning an airport at Macau. Liang dismissed them summarily, saying that Hong Kong airport was quite adequate. We think it reasonable to assume that, if the Chinese Government were interested in the creation of an airport at Macau, Liang would be aware of this, and in that case he would at least have made a more equivocal response to Emrys Davies' question.
7. Against this background, we prefer the deft response to the Portuguese proposal in the draft rely attached to Charles Drace-Francis' letter of 8 March. Let us by all means encourage the Portuguese to founder on Chinese rather than Hong Kong difficulties.
Yours eve
Cc:
CDS Drace-Francis Esq
APA HONG KONG
R WH Davies Esq
BIC HONG KONG
Chancery LISBON
Nick
NM PENN
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