TNAG-1148-FCO40-1428-Effect-on-Hong-Kong-of-the-Portuguese-and-Spanish-accession--1982 — Page 25

CODE 18 77

Miss Evans ECD(E)

E 101

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Reference

is

Hier 022/1

noted Blin Buy 32314

Pay 14/10

MACAO AND THE EC

1.

We spoke.

Drawing on the correspondence initiated by Mr Crowe's minute to Mr Elliott, FED, I suggest the following paragraphs for use in connection with Mr Hannay's forthcoming visit to Lisbon:

2.

2319

'Hong Kong has no special status vis-a-vis the EC, and is treated as a normal third country. When Lord Carrington visited the territory in March 1981, he told Unofficial Members of the Executive and Legislative Councils of Hong Kong that there was no question of Macao being treated more favourably than Hong Kong in the Community. Mr Atkins (then Lord Privy Seal) repeated this assurance when the issue was raised by the Unofficials during his visit in January this year.

No official indication has yet been received of Portuguese thinking on this subject, but it is likely that they may feel that they have an obligation to Macao as a territory under Portuguese administration, and seek to obtain 'overseas country and territory' (OCT) status for Macao. It should be made clear at an early stage that this would be politically unacceptable to HMG, so that the Portuguese do not retain any unrealistic expectations. '

FED and SED concur.

23 September 1982

cc: Mr Cox, FED

Mr Synnott, SED

R J F Hoare

Hong Kong and General Department WH 312

233 4439

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