TNAG-0839-FCO40-1048-Relations-between-Hong-Kong-and-China-1979 — Page 191

GR 180

CONFIDENTIAL

HKCK 200/1.

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG 251019Z JAN 79

TO PRIORITY FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE

TELNO.174 OF 25 JANUARY,

INFO PRIORITY: LISBON, PEKING,

ROUTINE : HONG KONG GOVT OFFICE LONDON.

ป MY TELNO.114 : SINO-PORTUGUESE RELATIONS.

IND

No

22/2

1. ACCORDING TO INFORMATION FROM MACAU THE ESTABLISHMENT OF DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS BETWEEN PORTUGAL AND CHINA IS LIKELY TO BE DELAYED FOR A CONSIDERABLE TIME. THE REASON GIVEN IS THAT THE PORTUGUESE HAVE BAULKED AT THE INCLUSION OF A REFERENCE TO MACAU IN A DRAFT JOINT STATEMENT ON THE GROUNDS

THAT THIS WOULD REQUIRE CHANGES TO THE EXISTING CONSTITUTION.

2. PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE HAS SHOWN THAT REPORTS REACHING US VIA MACAU ARE OFTEN GARBLED, IT WOULD BE HELPFUL, AND MAY BE IMPORTANT, TO ESTABLISH THE REAL FACTS. WE HOPE THAT LISBON WILL BE ABLE TO DO SO.

3: WE NOTE THAT LAST JUNE DR SA MACHADO PROMISED THE SECRETARY

OF STATE THAT HE WOULD KEEP IN CLOSE TOUCH ON THIS MATTER (YOUR TELNO.514). HIS SUCCESSOR DOES NOT SEEM TO HAVE KEPT THIS

UNDERTAKING,

MACLEHOSE

FILES

FED HKQGD,

SED

IPD,

COPIES TO

HKGO. 6, GRAFTON ST. WI.

010

NEWS. D.

PS

P3 | LORD GORONKIY

PSÍPUS

SIER, HIBBERT MR MURRAY MR FERGUSSON

ROBERTS

CONFIDENTIAL