TNAG-1039-FCO40-1289-Future-of-Hong-Kong-1981 — Page 216

BY BAG

布政司署

香港下亞

畢道

本署檔號 OUR REF: TSX 1/80

來函檔號 YOUR REF:

P Morrice Esq

HK&GD

FCO

Dear Philip,

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GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT

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4XK.

LOWER ALBERT ROAD

HONG KONG

28 May 1981

04011

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THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG AND THE MACAU MODEL

Macau's position under the 1976 Portuguese constitution has already been outlined in the Macau annex to David Wilson's letter of 16 April to Dick Clift. For reference purposes you may find it helpful to have the full text of article 5 of the constitution.

2.

below.

The picture remains unclear on what precisely was said about the status of Macau during the negotiations to establish diplomatic relations between Portugal and China. However, it is perhaps worth noting that irrespective of any unpublished concessions which might have been made at that time by the Portuguese, the 1976 constitution clearly laid the ground work unilaterally. Although nothing is specifically said on sovereignty, there is a clear implication that Portugal does not assert de jure sovereignty over Macau. Equally, there is no attribution of sovereignty to anyone else.

3.

On a separate Macau point, I was struck by the Portuguese Consul-General's conviction, when we recently spoke to him about Vietnamese refugees from China in Macau, that this subject would not be raised by the Portuguese Government because of the delicate constitutional relationship between the Governor of Macau and the Portuguese Government. We would be interested if you or the Embassy are aware of any Occasions on which the Portuguese Government have raised local problems concerning Macau with the Chinese.

cc w/enc M W Atkinson Esq MBE

PEKING

Yours ever

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