TNAG-1869-FCO40-2657-Relations-between-Hong-Kong-and-Macau-1989 — Page 14

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LI PENG ON/MACAO

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NCNA CARRIED A REPORT ON 18 AUGUST OF A FAREWELL CALL MADE ON LI PENG BY THE OUTGOING PORTUGUESE AMBASSADOR, OCTAVIO VALERIO. LI REPORTEDLY EXPRESSED SATISFACTION OVER WORK ON MACAO: THIS HAD BEEN ''UNAFFECTED'' BY THE RECENT TURMOIL IN BEIJING AND THE SINO-PORTUGUESE JLG MEETING HAD GONE AHEAD NORMALLY. CHINA WAS

WILLING TO EXPAND SINO-PORTUGUESE FRIENDLY RELATIONS AND TO

CONTINUE COOPERATION WITH PORTUGAL TO IMPLEMENT THE JOINT

DECLARATION. VALERIO WAS ASKED TO PASS ON GREETINGS FROM YANG

SHANGKUN AND LI PENG HIMSELF TO THE PORTUGUESE PRESIDENT AND PREMIER. VALERIO IS QUOTED AS SAYING THAT PORTUGAL HAD WON ''THE FULL AND CLOSE COOPERATION'' OF CHINA AND HAS ''ALL ALONG

FELT THE SINCERITY OF THE CHINESE SIDE'' LI PENG FINISHED BY

GIVING STANDARD ASSURANCES ABOUT THE CONTINUITY OF CHINA'S FOREIGN POLICY, WHICH WOULD NOT CHANGE FOR ''TEMPORARY INDIVIDUAL EVENTS''

COMMENT.

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IT IS UNUSUAL FOR OUTGOING WEST EUROPEAN AMBASSADORS TO BE RECEIVED AT THIS HIGH LEVEL (FOR EXAMPLE, SIR RICHARD EVANS WAS RECEIVED BY A VICE-PREMIER), AND LI PENG'S ACTION IS ALL THE MORE STRIKING AT A TIME WHEN EC COUNTRIES ARE MAINTAINING JOINT MEASURES AGAINST CHINA. IT UNDERLINES THE IMPORTANCE THE CHINESE HAVE ATTACHED TO THE UNBROKEN FLOW OF WORK ON MACAO AND THE CONTRAST THEY SEE BETWEEN THIS AND OUR ACTIONS ON HONG KONG. A BIT OF INTRA-EC WEDGE-DRIVING WAS NO DOUBT ALSO INTENDED ALTHOUGH OTHER EMBASSIES ACKNOWLEDGE THAT VALERIO HAD NO REAL ALTERNATIVE BUT TO TAKE UP SUCH AN INVITATION.

DONALD.

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