TNAG-1292-FCO40-1644-United-Nations-Conventions-signed-by-the-UK-extension-to-Hon-1984 — Page 30

GR 900

SECRET

FM HONG KONG 07020OZ MAR 84

SECRET

TO PRIORITY F C O

TELEGRAM NUMBER 599 OF 7 MARCH

НКК 020/4

- ENARI UPY

m.:

наз

:

INFO PRIORITY PEKING AND LISBON.

13

FCO TELNO 32 TO LISBON : FUTURE OF HONG KONG : MACAU

I SAW THE GOVERNOR OF MACAU FOR ABOUT AN HOUR ON 3 MARCH. THE GREATER PART OF THE DISCUSSION WAS TAKEN UP WITH AN ACCOUNT BY THE GOVERNOR OF MACAU OF THE DISPUTE BETWEEN HIMSELF AND THE

MACAU LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY.

2. BEFORE BRINGING REAR ADMIRAL ALMEIDA E COSTA UP TO DATE ON THE TALKS, I REFERRED TO THE TABLING OF THE MOTION FOR DEBATE IN LEGCO ON 14 MARCH, AND SAID THAT IT HAD BEEN AN INITIATIVE BY THE UNOFFICIALS, NOT INSTIGATED BY THE GOVERNMENT: AND THAT IT WAS PROCEDURAL IN THAT THE SUBJECT OF THE DEBATE WAS THE NEED FOR DISCUSSION BEFORE ANY AGREEMENT WAS CONCLUDED. THE CHINESE HAD INDICATED THAT THEY DID NOT LIKE THIS DEVELOPMENT, BUT THE IR OBJECTIONS HAD NOT SO FAR BEEN STRONGLY VOICED, AND MIGHT NOT BE LONG-LASTING. THE CHINESE WOULD NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT WE COULD NOT, AND DID NOT WISH TO, PREVENT PEOPLE IN HONG KONG FROM

EXPRESSING THEIR VIEWS.

3. EMPHASISING AGAIN THAT THIS WAS FOR HIS STRICTLY PERSONAL INFORMATION, I MADE THE FOLLOWING POINTS TO REAR ADMIRAL

ALMEIDA E COSTA:

(A) WE HAD ARRIVED AT A FORMULA WITH THE CHINESE ON THE BASIS OF WHICH WE HAD BEEN ABLE TO PURSUE A DISCUSSION OF POSSIBLE ARRANGEMENTS POST 1997. WHILE WE HAD FIRMLY RESERVED OUR POSITION AS A WHOLE, WE WERE EXPLORING WITH THE CHINESE HOW THEIR PLAN FOR HONG KONG POST 1997 MIGHT WORK. IF ON THIS BASIS ARRANGEMENTS COULD BE FOUND WHICH WOULD BE ACCEPTABLE, THEN HMG WOULD BE PREPARED TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO PARLIAMENT AS THE BASIS OF AN AGREEMENT: BUT HMG COULD NOT

COMMIT PARLIAMENT.

(B) THE CHINESE HAD AGREED TO DISCUSS FUTURE ARRANGEMENTS ON THAT BASIS, AND WE HAD SUBMITTED A NUMBER OF WORKING PAPERS ON ELEMENTS OF THE PRESENT SYSTEM IN HONG KONG IN ORDER TO ESTABLISH WHAT THE CHINESE MEANT WHEN THEY SAID THAT THE SYSTEMS IN HONG KONG WOULD REMAIN UNCHANGED. ALTHOUGH THE CHINESE MAINTAINED THEIR POSITION OF PRINCIPLE THAT THEY WOULD NEGOTIATE WITH US ONLY ABOUT BRITISH INTERESTS, AND OTHER MATTERS WERE FOR THEM TO DECIDE, IN PRACTICE THEY WERE PREPARED TO DISCUSS THEIR PROPOSED FUTURE ARRANGEMENTS. IN SOME AREAS OUR VIEWS AND THEIRS COINCIDED. IN OTHER IMPORTANT AREAS, FOR EXAMPLE THE PUBLIC SERVICE, FURTHER DISCUSSION WAS STILL NEEDED.

SECRET

|(C)

THIS IS A COPY

THE ORIGINAL HAS BEEN

CLOSED FOR 40 YEARS UNDER FOI

EXEMPTION No. 27(7)

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