TNAG-1626-FCO40-2240-Relations-between-Hong-Kong-and-Macau-1987 — Page 142

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LEY MON

British Embassy Peking

0

6 January 1986

Our Ref: 020/393/23

Anlagden

CC FED

PA

WRY Autem Takeri

Сс

Done

Um Austin 2011

T W M Smith Esq

FKD FCO

Year

Tom,

FKK 020/2

RECEIVES IN REGISTRY

2 1 JAN 1987

DESK OFFICER INDEX

MACAU

1.

You have probably seen the report on the front page of China Daily of 2 January. In case not, it records the MFA press spokesman as having described recent press reports in Hong Kong that the date for the handover of Macau by Portugal would be 2002 ΟΙ 2004 as "totally groundless". The press spokesman said that it was the "unwaivering stand" of the Chinese Government and the strong aspiration of the Chinese people, including compatriots in Macau, that the region should be returned to China before the

Any suggestion that Macau be returned to China after 2000 would not be acceptable.

year 2000.

Comment

2.

Now that the Chinese have gone public on this issue in such a decisive way it seems unlikely that the Portuguese will be able to persuade them to agree to a date after 2000 for the resumption of Chinese administration

over

Macau.

Yours Yand

ever,

D G Blunt

Chancery

CC:

R N Peirce Esq, DPA Fong Kong

Chancery, Lisbon

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