Mr. Wood
FBIS-CHI-88-011
19 January 1988
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W291
Macao
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HONG KONG & MACAO
Sino-Portuguese Liaison Group Leaders Meet OW151905 Beijing XINHUA in English 1457 GMT 15 Jan 88
[Text] Beijing, January 15 (XINHUA)-Ambassador Kang Jimin and Ambassador Carlos Alberto Simoes Coelho, heads of the Sino-Portuguese Joint Liaison Group of the two countries, met here today.
The liaison group was established earlier today following the exchange of instruments of ratification of the joint declaration of the Chinese and Portuguese Governments on the question of Macao here this morning. Sources close to the meeting said that the two ambassadors had initial discussions on the work procedure of the group and the date, venue and agenda of its first meeting.
At the same time, Zhang Xianglin and Dr Joao de Deus Ramos, Chinese and Portuguese heads of the newly- established Sino-Portuguese joint liaison group, also met. They exchanged ideas on the schedule for the group's work at the initial stage and the dateline for [words indistinct] Macao.
Both meetings were conducted in a "friendly atmo- sphere," sources said.
Luncheon Fetes Macao Declaration OW151134 Beijing XINHUA in English 1053 GMT 15 Jan 88
[Text] Beijing, January 15 (XINHUA)—Ji Pengfei, state councillor and director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office under the State Council, hosted a lun- cheon here today to mark the exchange of ratification documents for the Sino-Portuguese joint declaration on Macao.
Ji said that with the exchange of the documents, which signifies the going into force of the joint declaration, the two sides have accomplished a major task of historical significance.
"The settlement of the Macao question has opened a new page in the annals of friendly cooperation between China and Portugual," Ji said in a toast, and he expressed his thanks to the Chinese and Portuguese officials who have contributed to the settlement of the Macao question.
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He told the guests that in the 12-year transition period for Macao, the governments of China and Portugual are faced with the "common task of ensuring Macao's social stability and economic development, guaranteeing the all-round implementation of the joint declaration and the smooth transfer of government in Macao in 1999.”
He expressed the belief that those goals can be realized so long as the two sides cooperate closely and implement the joint declaration earnestly.
In reply, Portuguese Ambassador to China Octavio N. Valerio said that the Portuguese Government would implement the joint declaration in every respect.
"We in Portugal have no doubt that the joint declaration will be smoothly implemented and Macao will make smooth progress during the transition period," he said.
He added that the atmosphere of mutual understanding and friendship which prevailed throughout the negotia- tions on the settlement of the Macao question, would be instrumental for further cooperation between the two sides on Macao.
In fact, he pointed out, the bilateral relations were well developed even before the joint declaration went into force.
Prior to the luncheon Ji Pengfei had a cordial talk with the Portuguese officials.
Valerio said the foreign minister of his country, Joao Pinheiro, was unable to come to Beijing to attend today's ceremony but he would come in the near future.
Ji told the ambassador, “during your tenure as ambas- sador in Beijing, China and Portugal have successfully solved the Macao issue. This is the most important event in the history of our bilateral relations. Now the diplo- matic relations between our two countries have entered a new stage and cooperation between the two countries will improve."
Valerio told Ji that he hoped that they would meet in Macao in the near future.
"There will be an opportunity,” Ji said.
In his conversations with Chinese State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wu Xueqian, Valerio said tourism, textiles and the electronic toy industry have developed rapidly in Macao.
RD
27.
1 HMB 020/6
- 1 FEB 1988
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