TNAG-1626-FCO40-2240-Relations-between-Hong-Kong-and-Macau-1987 — Page 127

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CONFIDENTIAL

FROM LISBON

TO ROUTINE F C O

TELNO 35

OF 061526Z FEBRUARY 87

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IN REGISTRY 1 OFEB 1987

DESK OFFICER

INFO ROUTINE HONG KONG, PEKING INDEX

PEKING TELNO 104 : MACAU

PA

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Yon Taken

1. BOTH THE PRIME MINISTER'S DIPLOMATIC ADVISER (PLEASE PROTECT) AND

THE PRESIDENT'S ADVISER, GASPAR, WHO IS ON THE WORKING GROUP, HAVE

CONFIRMED THAT THE PORTUGUESE HAVE AGREED TO DECEMBER 1999 FOR THE

TRANSFER, SUBJECT OF COURSE TO AGREEMENT ON OTHER POINTS. APPARENTLY

THE INITIAL INTENTION WAS FOR 31 DECEMBER BUT THE CHINESE ARE

DOUBTFUL ABOUT A HAND-OVER ON A PUBLIC HOLIDAY.

2. GASPAR SAID THAT THE CHINESE HAD ACKNOWLEDGED THE FORCE OF THE

ARGUEMENT THAT THE PORTUGUESE NEEDED MORE TIME TO ORGANISE AN

ORDERLY HAND-OVER, BUT HAD MERELY SAID THAT THE ASPIRATIONS OF THE

CHINESE PEOPLE WOULD PERMIT NO LATER DATE.

3. BOTH MARTINS DA CRUZ AND GASPAR SAID THAT NATIONALITY QUESTIONS

REMAINED UNRESOLVED. THE CHINESE WHO WISHED TO AVOID CONCEDING ANY

FORM OF JOINT NATIONALITY HAD ATTEMPTED TO ASSERT THAT THE APPROXIMATELY 50,000 ETHNIC CHINESE WITH PORTUGUESE PASSPORTS SHOULD

HAVE THEIR PASSPORTS TAKEN AWAY AND BE REGARDED BY BOTH SIDES AS

CHINESE. THE PORTUGUESE HAD, AND WOULD, REFUSE TO BUDGE ON THIS

POINT. THEY CALCULATED THAT IN ALL, INCLUDING ETHNIC PORTUGUESE AND THOSE OF MIXED RACE, 80,000 HAD PORTUGUESE PASSPORTS WITH ANOTHER

10,000 THOUSAND ELIGABLE. OF THESE ONLY 10,000 - 15,000 MIGHT CONSIDER COMING TO PORTUGAL. THE REST OF THE POPULATION, IF THEY WISHED TO TRAVEL, MIGHT BE GIVEN SOME FORM OF QUOTE AUTONOMOUS REGION TRAVEL DOCUMENT UNQUOTE. GASPAR SAID THAT PERSONALLY HE HAD

LITTLE HOPE THAT THIS WOULD BE WORTH MUCH (BUT HE IS SIMILARLY SCEPTICAL ABOUT THE VALUE OF THE BN (0) PASSPORT).

4. GASPAR CONFIRMED THAT THE NEGOTIATIONS WERE NOW PICKING UP MOMENTUM AND HE FORESAW FEW GENUINE PROBLEMS. HE STILL DOUBTED WHETHER THEY COULD BE FINISHED IN TIME TO BE RATIFIED BY THE FORTCOMING NPC SESSION. HE SAID THAT THE CHINESE WERE BEING DIFFICULT OVER SOME POINTS, SUCH AS RELIGION, AND PORTUGUESE CULTURE, WHICH THEY WERE SAYING COULD ONLY REMAIN IF THEY DID NOT OFFEND THE SENSIBILITIES OF THE CHINESE PEOPLE. GASPAR THOUGHT THAT THERE WAS PROBABLY A CONNECTION WITH THE CURRENT HARDENING OF THE POLICT ON WESTERN CULTURE. ANOTHER SESSION OF THE WORKING GROUP WAS LIKELY LATER THIS MONTH.

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