TNAG-0933-FCO40-1152-Relations-between-Hong-Kong-and-Macau-1980 — Page 21

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CONFIDENTIAL

PM LISBON 2017342 TEB 70

ROUTING FCO

TELEGRAM MUMBER 73 OF 20 FEB.

INFO HONGKONG AND FEKING

FEA

020

2 2 FED 1979

TOP COPY

YOUR TELEGRAM NO 150 TO HONG KONG: SINO-PORTUGUESE RELATION

1. 10

13

(16

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WE HAVE CHECKED AGAIN WITH THE FOREIGN MINISTRY AND THE PRIME

MINISTER'S OFFICE, NO TRANSCRIPT EXISTS OF HOTA PINTO'S REPLIES

TO QUESTIONS BUT OFFICIALS ARE SURE THAT HE DID NOT SAY THAT

MACAU WAS CHINESE TERRITORY. INDEED IT IS INHERENTLY UNLIKELY THAT HE WOULD DO SO GIVEN THE VIEWS HE EXPRESSED TO THE AMBASSADOR ON 25 JANUARY (PARAGRAPH 3 OF LISBON TELEGRAM NO 33).

2. WE ARE NOT AWARE OF ANY STATEMENT BY MARIO SOARES THAT MACAU 15 CHINESE TERRITORY HIS 1975 STATEMENT SIMPLY SAID THAT THE STATUS OF MACAU MIGHT BE THE SUBJECT OF NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN CHINA AND PORTUGAL WHEN BOTH GOVERNMENTS THOUGHT THE TIME OPPORTUNE,

3. THE PORTUGUESE AMBASSADOR HAS EVIDENTLY NOT BEEN FULLY BRIEFED ON THE NEGOTIATIONS IN PARIS. AS WAS ESTABLISHED LAST YEAR, THE CHINESE DID (REPEAT DID) RAISE THE STATUS OF MACAU (YOUR. TELEGRAM NO 514 TO HONG KONG AND SUBSEQUENT TELEGRAMS).

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THE IMMEDIATE CAUSE FOR THE DELAY WAS MOTA PINTO'S DOUBTS ABOUT

THE CONSTITUTIONAL PROPRIETY OF WHAT HAD BEEN NEGOTATIATED WITH

THE CHINESE IMMEDIATELY DEFORE HIS GOVERNMENT TOOK OFFICE.

FOREIGH MINISTRY OFFICIALS HAVE TOLD US IN CONFIDENCE THAT THE EXPRESSOR STORY (LISBON TELEGRAM NO 33) WAS SUBSTANTIALLY CORRECT. IT IS GENERALLY BELIEVED HERE THAT EARLIER CHINESE RELUCTANCE WAS DUE TO THEIR CONCERN AT SOVIET INFLUENCE IN PORTUGAL AND THE BLAME THEY ATTACHED TO PORTUGUESE GOVERNMENTS SINCE 1974 FOR

ALLOWING THE RUSSIANS INTO SOUTHERN AFRICA

PS

GOULDING

FILES

SED

RKGD

FUSO

PS/PUS

DEWS D 100

AZR A WATE

PS/MR, JUDD FS/TORD CORONWY ROBERTS

SIR A.FARRONS STR R.MBEERT MR. CORTAZZI MR.MURRAY MR.FERGUSSON

CONFIDENTIAL

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