TNAG-1459-FCO40-1983-Relations-between-Hong-Kong-and-Macau-1986 — Page 38

CONFIDENTIAL

GRS 170

CONFIDENT HAL

FM HONG KONG

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELNO 2407

OF 23O94OZ JULY 86

INFO ROUTINE PEKING, LISBON

OF

47) MY TELNO 2268: MACAU TALKS

1. # HAD AN INTERESTING TALK WITH STANLEY HO ON 22 JULY. HE SAID

THAT THE PORTUGUESE WERE VERY ANXIOUS THAT THE TRANSFER DATE SHOULD

BE AFTER 1997. SOARES HAD TOLD HIM THAT THEY FAVOURED THE 450TH ANNIVERSARY, W.E. 2004. HO HAS ALSO MENTIONED THIS DATE IN PUBLIC (OUR WEEKLY PRESS ROUNDUP, TELNO 2380, PARAGRAPH 5).

2. HO SAND THAT THE PORTUGUESE WERE IN NO HURRY. THE CHINESE KNEW

THAT IF THEY PRESSED THE PORTUGUESE TOO HARD ON THE DATE OF TRANSFER, THE LATTER MIGHT TAKE PRECHPINTATE ACTION (UNSPECIFIED)","

WHICH WOULD AFFECT CONFIDENCE IN HONG KONG. HO THOUGHT THAT THE CHINESE WOULD GIVE GROUND ON THE DATE. HE ALSO SAID, INTERESTINGLY, THAT THE CHINESE WERE UNDER SOME PRESSURE FROM AND OBLIGATION TO THE

BRITISH NOT TO TRANSFER LATER THAN 1997.

3. ON OTHER POINTS, HO SAID:

A) THE CHINESE SAW NO FUTURE IN THE CONTINED USE OF PORTUGUESE AND WISHED ENGLISH TO BE INTRODUCED. HE NOTED THAT THE COMMUNIQUE AFTER THE FIRST ROUND OF TALKS HAD BEEN IN PORTUGUESE, CHINESE AND ENGLISH.

B) NATIONALTY WAS NO LONGER A PROBLEM BECAUSE THE PORTUGUESE WERE PREPARED TO TAKE ON THE 100,000 PEOPLE WHO ALREADY HAD PORTUGUESE PASSPORTS AND HAD CLOSED THE DOOR ON OTHERS BY REQUIRING A PORTUGUESE PANGUAGE QUALIFICATION FOR NATIONALITY AND A PASSPORT.

C) PENSIONS WERE NOT A PROBLEM. HE AND OTHERS HAD REASSURED THE

CHINESE ON THIS. ONLY 7-800 MILLION DOLLARS WAS INVOLVED.

D) THE CHINESE MIGHT AGREE TO HOLD THE PENULTIMATE ROUND OF TALKS

IN LISBON. BOTH SIDES WERE SENSITIVE ABOUT THE VENUE.

AKERS-JONES

MINIMAL

HKD

SED

CONTIDENTIAL

HKK 02013 RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

30 JUL 1986

A

18B 387 jAB

B2