TNAG-0933-FCO40-1152-Relations-between-Hong-Kong-and-Macau-1980 — Page 18

GPS 270

CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO 1418552 FEB 79

PRIORITY HONG KONG

CONFIDENTIAL

113;

*2

TELEGRAM NO 150 OF 14 FEBRUARY

INFO LISBON, PEKING.

12

YOUR TEL NO 263: SINO-PORTUGUESE RELATIONS.

FEA 020

16 FEB 1979

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

FILES

FED

SED

HK & GD

SIR A DUFF

PUSD

OID

IPD

NEWS D PS PS/MR JUDD

PS/LORD GORONWY-ROBERTS

PS/PUS

SIR A PARSONS

SIR R HIBBERT

MR CORTAZZI MR MURRAY

MR FERGUSSON

CONFIDENTIAL