GR
180
IMMEDIATE
CYPHER CAT A
PM F C O 381925Z
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
/Wat
TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG TELNO 514 OF 30 JUNE AND TO PRIORITY LISBON
PEKING.
YOUR TELS NOS 898 AND 811 a HONG KONG AND MACAU
1. DISCUSSED THIS QUESTION WITH THE PORTUGUESE FOREIGN MINISTER TODAY. I STRESSED THE IMPORTANCE OF THE ISSUE FOR HONG KONG AND
ASKED THE FOREIGN MINISTER TO KEEP IN CLOSE TOUCH. HE UNDERTOOK
TO DO SO.
2. DR SA MACHADO SAID THAT THE CHINESE AMBASSADOR IN PARIS HAD
RAISED THE ISSUE DURING THE NEGOTIATIONS ON THE ESTABLISHMENT OF DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS AND HAD ASKED FOR A CLEAR STATEMENT FROM
THE PORTUGUESE GOVERNMENT RECOGNISING CHINESE SOVEREIGNTY OVER MACAU, THE PORTUGUESE HAD RESPONDED BY QUOTING FROM THEIR 1976 CONSTITUTION WHICH STATED THAT QUOTE THE TERRITORY OF MACAU, UNDER PORTUGUESE ADMINISTRATION, SHALL BE GOVERNED BY A STATUTE IN KEEPING WITH ITS SPECIAL STATUS UNQUOTE, I EXPRESSED SURPRISE THAT THE CHINESE HAD RAISED THE MATTER: IT WAS OUR IMPRESSION THAT THEY WERE CONTENT WITH THE STATUS QUO AND WOULD ACCEPT THE PORTUGUESE POSITION PROVIDED THEY AVCIDED ANY PUBLIC CLAIM TO SOVEREIGNTY OVER MACAU.
1 ADVISED SA MACHADO NOT TO RAISE THE MATTER WITH THE CHINESE: IT
WAS BEST LEFT ON THE BACK BURNER.
3. FULL RECORD FOLLOWS BY BAG.
OWEN
FILES
사선(G) (6)
FED
It is disquieting
that
the question
re
PRe
They
the implications
(certainly) olivy fenomenal
should
raise
won Col
not
Lauce
denie
SED
without
considering
NTD
LEGAL
ADVISERS
Heig
Kong.
Boul
They
RESEARCH D
have
As
for
mol
PS/LORD GORONWY ROBERTs
life
Нолид Кажд
MR CORTAZZ!
For
these
М
MR MURRAY
MR
FERGUSSON
(probably) political
اع
destabilising
situation,
and
aloi.
they probably
push
the Macau
further.
CONFIDENHAL
to
Mr Sammel
note the Minister's comments.
que
lein
Gorenwy - Robar-
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