TNAG-1870-FCO40-2658-Relations-between-Hong-Kong-and-Macau.-With-map-1989 — Page 8

CONFIDENTIAL

OFFICE OF THE BRITISH SENIOR REPRESENTATIVE, SINO-BRITISH JOINT LIAISON GROUP

St John's Building

33 Garden Road

PO Box 528

Hong Kong

Telephone 5-8682171, 5-8682416, 5-8682431, 5-8682435

2/1

Mr Cana

fa

Alan Paul Esq

Hong Kong Department

FCO

Your reference

Our reference 400/5

Date

24 November 1989

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RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

11 JAN1990

Dean

At

ESK OFFICER

REGISTRY

INDEX

PA

Action Taken

PORTUGUESE JLG

R77 13/12

Miss Maroden Miss Major

W12/12

1. At his suggestion, on 23 November I went to Macau to call on my opposite number and have lunch. As ever, Ramos was friendly and open and I would be grateful if his comments could be treated with appropriate discretion.

2. The Portuguese JLG Office has now moved into its permanent accommodation in Macau, though none of the promised new staff members have yet arrived. The Offices are smart and spacious to provide room for expansion, though Ramos was unable to predict when this might happen. Their outline plan was that the Senior Representative would not take up residence for some 3 or 4 years, though he suspected the Chinese might start to press now that our Senior Representative was in place.

3. I asked him about prospects for the next Sino-Portuguese JLG meeting, which coincidentally is to be from 5 to 8 December, exactly the same dates as ours. Did the Portuguese expect any concessions for their good behaviour in not breaking off contacts after the Tiananmen massacre? Ramos said he expected a very dull meeting. There might be some "candies" but the Chinese had already proposed one or two small concessions during Melancia's visit and he personally doubted whether the Chinese would see any need for much more. They were angling for a visit to Peking by President Soares, though, as Ramos put it, the Portuguese had "come to their senses" and were stalling. The visit was unlikely to take place in the present circumstances. I asked Ramos whether the Chinese had again pressed for the Portuguese to take a lead in improving China's relations with the West and securing a dropping of sanctions. Ramos said they had not reverted to the question.

CONFIDENTIAL

/Acknowledging