TNAG-0839-FCO40-1048-Relations-between-Hong-Kong-and-China-1979 — Page 139

GPS 270

CONFIDENTIAL

FCO 1418552 FEB 79

TO PRIORITY HONG KONG

CONFIDENTIAL

TELEGRAM NO 150 OF 14 FEBRUARY

INFO LISBON, PEKING.

=

HKK OOO!!

PA

!

114

YOUR TEL NO 263: SINO-PORTUGUESE RELATIONS,

No

1. WHEN CORTAZZI SAW THE PORTUGUESE AMBASSADOR TODAY HE ASKED HIM

WHAT HAD BEEN SAID AT THE PRESS CONFERENCE FOLLOWING THE

ANNOUNCEMENT OF DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WITH CHINA. THE AMBASSADOR

CONFIRMED THAT THE PORTUGUESE PRIME MINISTER HAD SAID THAT QUOTE

IN THE PORTUGUESE CONSTITUTION IT IS DECLARED THAT MACAO IS CHINESE TERRITORY UNDER PORTUGUESE ADMINISTRATION UNQUOTE. MARTINS

ADDED THAT IN FACT THE PORTUGUESE CONSTITUTION ONLY STATES THAT

QUOTE MACAO IS A TERRITORY UNDER PORTUGUESE ADMINISTRATION UNQUOTE

AND THE PRIME MINISTER HAD ADDED IN THE REFERENCE TO CHINA. THE

AMBASSADOR SAID THAT IN HIS VIEW THE SHORTER EXPRESSION IN THE

CONSTITUTION NEVERTHELESS RECOGNISED THAT THE TERRITORY WAS INDEED

CHINESE AND THAT IN ANY CASE SOARES HAD USED AN EXPRESSION SIMILAR

TO THE PRIME MINISTER ON AN EARLIER OCCASION.

2. WHEN CORTAZZI ASKED WHETHER THE STATUS OF MACAO HAD BEEN

DISCUSSED IN THE PARIS NEGOTIATIONS LEADING UP TO THE ESTABLISHMENT

OF DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS MARTINS SAID THAT THE STATUS OF MACAO HAD

NEVER BEEN PUT IN QUESTION DURING THE TALKS. THE REFERENCE TO MACAO

IN THE PRIME MINISTER'S STATEMENT HAD, HE BELIEVED, BEEN MADE ON THE PRIME MINISTER'S OWN INITIATIVE.

3. THE AMBASSADOR SAID THAT HE THOUGHT THAT THE MAIN REASON FOR

THE DELAY IN THE ESTABLISHMENT OF DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS BETWEEN

PORTUGAL AND CHINA HAD BEEN CHINESE SUSPICIONS OF THE ROLE OF THE

PORTUGUESE COMMUNIST PARTY AFTER THE APRIL REVOLUTION. THEY HAD PROBABLY ALSO HAD THEIR DOUBTS ABOUT THE STABILITY OF PORTUGUESE

GOVERNMENTS.

OWEN

PILES

FED

SED

PS/LORD GORONWY-ROBERTS

PS/PUS

HK & GD

SIR A DUFF

PUSD

OID

IPD

NEWS D PS

SIR A PARSONS

SIR R HIBBERT

MR CORTAZZI

MR MURRAY

MR FERGUSSON

FS/MR JUDD

CONFIDENTIAL