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EVE OF THE DEPARTURE OF A PORTUGUESE DELEGATION TO WASHINGTON THEY HAD OBJECTED, CLAIMING THAT WHAT THE PORTUGUESE WERE NEGOTIATING RELATED TO THE SOVEREIGNTY OF CHINA. IT HAD BEEN TOO LATE TO CANCEL THE VISIT, SO THE DELEGATION HAD GONE FOR ''EXPLORATORY TALKS' ONLY. THE WHOLE SUBJECT OF AIR TRAFFIC AGREEMENTS WOULD NOW BE
DISCUSSED AT THE SEPTEMBER JLG.
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4. AIR TRAFFIC AGREEMENTS WAS ONE OF THE SUBJECTS DISCUSSED BY CATARINO WHEN HE VISITED MACAU FROM 15-23 JUNE. ANOTHER HAD BEEN
CHINESE PRESSURE FOR INCREASED INVOLVEMENT IN THE SETTING OF
SALARIES AND CONDITIONS OF SERVICE IN THE MACAU CIVIL SERVICE. CATARINO'S RESPONSE HAD BEEN TO OFFER TO KEEP THE CHINESE INFORMED, WHILE STRESSING THAT THE MACAU CIVIL SERVICE REMAINED A PORTUGUESE
RESPONSIBILITY. FOR THEIR PART. THE PORTUGUESE HAD ANXIETIES ABOUT
PROVISIONS IN THE DRAFT BASIC LAW (PUBLISHED ON 9 JULY) RESERVING
KEY JOBS FOR CHINESE. THESE PROVISIONS WERE MODELLED ON THOSE IN THE HONG KONG BASIC LAW BUT THE SITUATION IN MACAU, WHERE ONLY A TINY PROPORTION OF ETHNIC CHINESE WERE EDUCATED TO A SUFFICIENT LEVEL, WAS DIFFERENT. THE PORTUGUESE TOOK COMFORT, NEVERTHELESS, FROM THE FACT THAT OF THE VERY TOP POSITIONS ONLY THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE WOULD NEED TO BE A CHINESE CITIZEN WITHOUT THE RIGHT OF ABODE IN A FOREIGN COUNTRY. THIS REFLECTED THE FACT THAT 100,000 MACAU RESIDENTS - BY AND LARGE THE BEST EDUCATED WERE PORTUGUESE CITIZENS WITH THE RIGHT OF RESIDENCE IN PORTUGAL.
5. CATARINO MENTIONED THAT THE LAW ON THE JUDICIAL ORGANISATION OF
MACAU HAD PASSED THROUGHT THE PORTUGUESE ASSMBLY ON 19 JUNE. THE
CHINESE HAD NOT WELCOMED THIS, HAVING WANTED THE LEGISLATION TO FOLOW THE PUBLICATION OF THE BASIC LAW.
6. CATARINO WILL BE IN MACAU FOR A WEEK FROM 30 AUGUST, PRIOR TO THE NEXT JLG, AND WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A TALK WITH TONY GALSWORTHY, PARTICULARLY ABOUT THE APPLICATION OF CONTRACTS (EG FOR ELECTRICITY), AS WELL AS TREATIES AND CONVENTIONS, GOING BEYOND
1997/9.
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7 I HAVE JUST SEEN BTC HONG KONG TELNO 216, WHICH SEEMS TO CHIME REASONABLY WELL WITH CATARINO'S ACCOUNT OF MACAU AIRPORT DEVELOPMENTS, AND WHICH SUGGESTS THAT WE SHOULD KEEP IN TOUCH WITH SILVA (ACTING DIRECTOR, CIVIL AVIATION AUTHORITY). ARE MACAU AIPORT DEVELOPMENTS STILL A SUFFICIENT PRIORITY FOR US, IN THE WAKE OF OUR AGREEMENT WITH THE CHINESE, TO JUSTIFY THIS DEPLOYMENT OF RESOURCES? IF ON THE OTHER HAND OUR INTERESTS ARE NOW PRIMARILY COMMERCIAL, WE SHALL NEED FULL BRIEFING ON THEM AND THE SORT OF
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