TNAG-0933-FCO40-1152-Relations-between-Hong-Kong-and-Macau-1980 — Page 17

GRO 225

CONFIDENTIAL

NEDENHAL

CONFIDER

FM HONG KONG 131134Z FEB 79

PRIORITY F CO

TELEGRAM NUMBER 263 OF 13 FEBRUARY

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AND TO PRIORITY LISBON

12

TOP CORY

INFO PRIORITY PEKING, ROUTINE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON.

DEKIND"

.....

ISBON TELNO 56 TO FCO: SINO-PORTUGUESE DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS.

1. ACCORDING TO A UP! REPORT DATELINED LISBON 8 FEBRUARY, PRIME MINISTER PINOT, WHEN SPEAKING AT A PRESS CONFERENCE FOLLOWING THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WITH CHINA, SAID OF MACAU: 'IT IS CHINESE TERRITORY BUT REMAINS UNDER PORTUGUESE ADMINISTRATION''. NO OTHER AGENCY REPORT SEEN HERE QUOTES THIS

REMARK.

2. THE UP! STORY WAS CARRIED BY THE DA GONG BAO (TA KUNG PAO), ONE OF THE LEADING LOCAL COMMUNIST PAPERS. IT WAS NOT, HOWEVER, PICKED UP BY THE OTHER COMMUNIST PAPERS.

3. GRATEFUL TO KNOW IF PINTO DID SPEAK AS REPORTED AND, IF SO, WHETHER ANY PARTICULAR SIGNIFICANCE SHOULD BE ATTACHED TO HIS

REMARKS

4. THE PRESS HERE HAS TAKEN IT AS A GOOD SIGN THAT THERE IS NO REFERENCE TO MACAU IN THE COMMUNIQUE ON ESTABLISHING DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS. WITHOUT MAKING THIS SPECIFIC POINT, ONE OF THE COMMUNIST PAPERS, THE 'NEW EVENING POST', COMMENTED: ''THE ESTABLISHMENT OF DIPOLMATIC RELATIONS BETWEEN CHINA AND PORTUGAL WILL BE GOOD FOR THE TWO COUNTRIES OF CHINA AND PORTUGAL AS WELL AS FOR THE TWO TERRITORIES OF HONG KONG AND MACAU''.

MACLE HOSE

FILES

FED

SED HK OG D PUSD OID

iPD

NEWS D

PS

PS/MRJUDD

PSİLORDGORONWY- ROBERTS

Pstrus

SIR A-DUFF

+

SIR A PARSONS SIR.R.ILBBERT

MR CORTAZZI

MR MURRAY MR FERGUSSON

FEA 020/1

:

14 FEB 1979

CONFIDENTIAL