CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO 071248Z MAY 85
TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
TELEGRAM NUMBER 635 OF 7 MAY
INFC IMMEDIATE LISBON, UKREP BRUSSELS
INFORMATION
.06728
COMMS OFFICE REG NO.. D.T.R: 8th May, 1985 0700HAS
YOUR TELNOS 70 AND 8297 PORTUGUESE ACCESSION TO THE EC: MACAU
IT
1. WE HAVE REFERRED BACK TO THE PAPERS ON THIS QUESTION. DOES NOT APPEAR THAT WE WERE EVER ASKED BY YOU TO RAISE THE QUESTION OF PORTUGUESE PASSPORT HOLDERS IN MACAU IN THE ACCESSION NEGOTIATIONS. THE LETTER FROM MARCH (THEN SENIOR BRITISH TRADE COMMISSIONER IN HONG KONG AND CON SUL-GENERAL TO MACAU) OF 17 MARCH 1982 WAS A RESPONSE TO A REQUEST FROM HERE FOR INFORMATION ON THE LIKELY NUMBER OF MACANESE WHO WOULD HAVE A CLAIM TO PORTUGUESE PASSPORTS. IT DID NOT ASK US TO INITIATE ANY ACTION. YOUR TELNO 441 OF 1 MAY 1982 WAS A REQUEST THAT UKREP BRUSSELS KEEP AN EYE ON THE GOVERNOR OF MACAU'S VISIT TO BRUSSELS QUOTE GIVEN THE SENSITIVITY FOR HONG KONG OF ACCESSION ARRANGEMENTS RELATING TO MACAU UN QOTE.
2. HMG'S STATED COMMITMENT TO HONG KONG ON THE QUESTION OF PORTUGUESE ACCESSION WAS FIRST GIVEN BY LORD CARRINGTON IN 1981 AND WAS REPEATED BY SIR HUMPHREY ATKINS IN 1982, IN BOTH INSTANCES TO UMELCO. IT WAS THAT WE WOULD ENSURE THAT THERE WAS NO QUESTION OF MACAU BEING TREATED MORE FAVOURABLY THAN HONG KONG IN THE COMMUNITY. WE MADE OUR VIEWS ON THIS CLEAR TO THE PORTUGUESE, STATING THAT WE SHOULD OPPOSE OCT STATUS FOR MACAU IF THE PORTUGUESE APPLIED FOR IT. IN THE EVENT THEY DID NOT. MACAU'S STATUS VIS-A-VIS THE COMMUNITY WILL THEREFORE BE NO MORE FAVOURABLE THAN HONG KONG'S. NOR, AS UKREP BRUSSELS TELNO 1592 MAKES CLEAR, WILL RESIDENTS OF MACAU WHO ARE NOT PORTUGUESE NATIONALS EN JOY BETTER RIGHTS IN THE COMMUNITY THAN RESIDENTS OF HONG KONG WHO ARE NOT BRITISH CITIZENS.
M
No
8 MAY 1985
419
CONFIDENTIAL
... TOD. + Pro(0) CR 1718.00
/3. THAT.
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