TNAG-1459-FCO40-1983-Relations-between-Hong-Kong-and-Macau-1986 — Page 19

CATAGX

MACAU

HIKK

0203

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

25 OCT 1986

DESK OFFICER

INDEX

PA

REGISTRY

Action Taken

75

Points to Make

MRS CHAT

CONFIDENTIAL

250

25 TO

REPRESIDENT OF PORTUGAL

67

Draft brief →→SED

flight

for Mrs. Chalker on to Machel's funeral.

ра

24110

1.

How are negotiations going?

People in Hong Kong will watch arrangements made for Macau very closely. Their confidence in their own future would be bolstered by similar arrangements for Macau.

2.

Essential Facts

1.

-

Portugal

and

China

agreed

earlier this

begin

to year

negotiations on the future of Macau. Three rounds of negotiations have taken place in Peking, on 30 June 1 July, 9 - 10 September and 21 22 October. We know very little of what has passed between

that the two sides. The Chinese have told us privately, however, they consider the Joint Declaration on Hong Kong to be a blueprint for a settlement of the Macau question. It seems that the Chinese intend to follow very closely the model of the Hong Kong agreement.

2.

We have emphasised to the Chinese that arrangements for Macau will be scrutinised very closely by people in Hong Kong.

Any belief that Macau is getting a better deal than Hong Kong would be bad for confidence in Hong Kong. The Chinese seem quite alive to the Hong

This is not Kong angle.

a point we have put to the Portuguese

although they may well be aware of it.

(a preliminary

on

3. We have so far had/he reports from Peking or Hong Kong on the third round of negotiations. But press reports state that A communiqué was issued saying broad agreement

agreement had been reached substantive issues and that a joint working group would be set up to tackle detailed aspects of an eventual settlement. This suggests that the two sides have reached the stage of drafting the text of an eventual agreement.

CONFIDENTIAL