CONFIDENTIAL
FM LISBON
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 68
Confidential
HRK 02013
-
- 3 MAR 1986
TOH COPY
OF 231648Z FEBRUARY 25
INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG
INFO ROUTINE PEKING
6
FCO TELNO 395 TO HONG KONG: FUTURE OF MACAU
1. HEAD OF CHANCERY ON 28 FEBRUARY CALLED ON QUETROS DE PARROS,
DEPUTY DIRECTOR GENERAL RESPONSIBLE FOP EAST ASIA IN THE NFA WHO HAS
TAKEN ON RESPONSIBILITY FOR MACAU.
THE
2. QUEIROS DE BARROS CLAIMED THAT PORTUGAL WAS UNDER NO PRESSURE TO
OPEN NEGOTIATIONS. THE CHINESE SEEMED CONTENT TO WAIT UNTIL PORTUGAL
WAS READY. THIS WOULD NOT BE UNTIL A POSITION HAD BEEN COORDINATED
BETWEEN THE NEW PRESIDENTIAL TEAM AND THE MFA, AFTER SOARES'
INAUGURATION ON 9 MARCH. THE PRESIDENT'S PRINCIPAL ADVISEP ON THE
ISSUE WAS LIKELY TO BE HIS CHEFE DE CABINET DESIGNATE NUMES BARATA,
WHO RECENTLY TOOK UP APPOINTMENT AS AMBASSADOR TO MOROCCO. NOTHING
HAD YET BEEN DONE ABOUT FORMING A NEGOTIATING TEAM, AND THIS WAS
LIKELY TO AWAIT THE APPOINTMENT OF A NEW GOVERNOR. QUEIROS DE BARROS
AGREED THAT THIS SEEMED LIKELY TO BE GOMES MOTA, THE FORMER HEAD OF TAP, BUT SAID THERE MIGHT BE PROBLEMS SINCE HE WAS UNPOPULAR WITH
MACANESE PORTUGUESE.
3. QUEIROS DE BARROS FORESAW FEW PROBLEMS ONCE THE TALKS GOT UNDER
WAY, PROVIDED THERE WAS NO RADICAL CHANGE OF POLICY BY CHINA. MACAU
WAS AN EASIER PROBLEM THAN THE HONG KONG ONE. THIS MIGHT BE REACHED
IN 1986, BUT 1987 WAS MORE LIKELY.
4. MARTIN STRESSED THE IMPORTANCE OF THE MACAU NEGOTIATIONS FOR HONG
KONG AND OUR INTEREST IN HOW THE NATIONALITY QUESTION WAS RESOLVED.
QUEIROS DE BARROS SAID HE WAS AWARE OF OUR CONCERNS AND PORTUGAL
WOULD KEEP IN CLOSE TOUCH. HE MIGHT HIMSELF CONSIDER A VISIT TO
LONDON. HE THOUGHT THAT MOT MANY OF THE 35,000 MACANESE ELIGIBLE
WOULD WISH TO MOVE TO EURPOE.
COMMENT
5. QUE IROS DE DARROS' RELAXED ATTITUDE SUGGESTS THAT AN EARLY START
TO NEGOTIATIONS IS UNLIKELY UNLESS CHINA, PRESSES. IT SEEMS CLEAR
THAT PORTUGAL HAS STILL NOT DECIDED HOW TO PLAY THE NEGOTIATION. IN
SEPARATE CONVERSATION TODAY, THE PRIME MINISTER'S DIPLOMATIC ADVISER
CONFIRMED TO ME THAT THE PRIME MINISTER WOULD LOCK TO THE MFA TO
TAKE THE LEAD ON MACAU, AND THAT NO NEGOTIATING TEAM HAD YET BEEN
ESTABLISHED. HE IMPLIED THAT QUEIROS DE DARROS NICHT NOT BE THE MAN
TO LEAD THE TEAM.
BRIGHTY
HONG KONG AGREEMENT: RESTRICTED
LIMITED
HD/HKD
HD/FED
RESEARCH D (FE)
DEP/HD PUSD
PS/MR RENTCN MR WILSON
COPIES TO:
MR FIFOOT, LEGAL ADVISERS MR WOOD LEGAL ADVISERS MR HUM FID
CONFIDENTIAL
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