CONFIDENTIAL
055101
MDLIAN 7832
CONFIDENTIAL
FM LISBON
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 002
OF 02163OZ JANUARY 90
HKB 182 / 2
71
ཀ《མ་
fa
TOP QD
INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG, UKREP JLG HONG KONG, BTC HONG KONG, PEKING
90/HKC18212 · (361)
? YOUR TELNO 242 TO HONG KONG AND HONG KONG TELNO 3835: CONTACTS WITH THE PORTUGUESE OVER AIRPORT PROJECTS
1. FROM THE LISBON PERSPECTIVE WE AND PORTUGAL HAVE A NUMBER OF COMMON CONCERNS OVER PROJECTS LIKE THIS. BUT THE ABSENCE OF MEANINGFUL INTERLOCUTORS HERE MAKES IT UNLIKELY THAT ANY INITIATIVE IN LISBON ON THIS ASPECT WOULD BEAR FRUIT. IT WOULD CERTAINLY ENTAIL APPROACHING THE PRESIDENT'S OFFICE CHE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE GOVERNMENT OF MACAU). BUT THIS COULD JEOPARDISE OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH CATARINO, WITH WHOM WE ARE DEVELOPING A FRANK EXCHANGE OVER JLG ISSUES. HE IS ACUTELY CONSCIOUS OF MACAU'S POLITICAL SENSITIVITY (WITH GOOD REASON: ALLEGED CORRUPTION IN MACAU HAS EMERGED, IN THE WAKE OF MEANCIA'S RESIGNATION, AS PERHAPS THE MAJOR ISSUE OF THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS DUE IN PORTUGAL ON 13 JANUARY).
2. WE SHALL OF COURSE CONTINUE TO KEEP IN CLOSE TOUCH WITH CATARINO, PARTICULARLY IN THE WAKE OF LUSO/CHINESE JLG MEETINGS, AND WILL CONTINUE TO REPORT WHAT WE LEARN FROM HIM ABOUT PROGRESS OF THE AIRPORT PROJECT, AS WELL AS OF LAND COMMISSION AND OTHER ISSUES. WE TRIED EARLY LAST YEAR TO INTEREST CATARINO IN A VISIT TO LONDON, BUT WITHOUT SUCCESS (THE NEED TO CLEAR HIS LINES WITH BOTH GOVERNMENT AND PRESIDENT SEEMS TO HAVE MADE HIM RELUCTANT). MS MAJOR'S LETTER OF 11 JULY TO BUCK IN ANY EVENT REPORTED MCLAREN'S VIEW THAT CONTACT WOULD BEST BE MAINTAINED BY GALSWORTHY. CATARINO WOULD IN THE NORMAL COURSE OF EVENTS VISIT MACAU AT LEAST ONCE A YEAR (THERE SHOULD BE TWO JLGS IN MACAU DURING 1991) BUT WE WOULD BE HAPPY TO SOUND OUT CATARINO ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF A VISIT HERE IF GALSWORTHY THOUGHT ONE WORTHWHILE.
MACAN
YYYY
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