TNAG-1292-FCO40-1644-United-Nations-Conventions-signed-by-the-UK-extension-to-Hon-1984 — Page 44

CODE 18-77

CONFIDENTIAL

Reference..

relating to the territory's Organic Statute.' (This is not one of the duties specified in section 2 of the same article as being an 'exclusive duty of the Legislative Assembly'.)

b. The Constitution

3.

Article 306

'1. The Statute of the territory of Macau by virtue of Law No 1/76 of 17 February 1976 shall continue in force.

'2. On a proposal by the Legislative Assembly of Macau the Assembly of the Republic may, after consulting the Council of the Revolution, approve amendments to the statute or its replacement by another one.

'3. If the proposal is approved with amendments, the President of the Republic shall not promulgate the decision of the Assembly of the Republic unless the Legislative

approval.'

Assembly of

Macau

expresses

its

The above seems to me to show that Sir S Y Chung's assumption is partially correct. The degree of autonomy enjoyed by Macau under the above stipulations would presumably be subject to powers vested in the authorities in Portugal to make changes in the Portuguese Constitution.

4.

A statement made by the former Portuguese Ambassador in Paris, Coimbra Martins, in his recently published memoirs may also be relevant. He said that in the course of the negotiations which he conducted during the late 1970s on establishing diplomatic relations with China, Portugal and China agreed that neither side should take a unilateral initiative to change the status quo in Macau and that there should be no recourse to any method of tackling the problem 'other than negotiation at a time regarded appropriate by both sides.'

5.

All this is of which should be sought question further.

course subject to legal advice, should you wish to explore the

Rafalle

K C Walker

CONFIDENTIAL