TNAG-2290-FCO40-3296-Relations-between-Hong-Kong-and-Macau-1991 — Page 173

UNCLASSIFIED

HKC020/1

}

34

061576

MDLIAN 1646

UNCLASSIFIED

FM LISBON

TO ROUTINE HONG KONG

TELNO 002

OF 081405Z APRIL

1991

INFO ROUTINE FCO

PEKING, BTC HONG KONG

33

MY TELNO 001: NEW GOVERNOR OF MACAU

TOP COPY

O DIST ?

ра

Масли

(51014

1. GENERAL ROCHA VIEIRA HAS ASKED ME TO PASS TO YOU THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE:

' THANK YOU FOR YOUR MESSAGE OF CONGRATULATIONS. I AM CERTAIN THAT

WE SHALL ESTABLISH AN INTENSE AND FRUITFUL COOPERATION WITH THE ULTIMATE AIM OF CONFIRMING THE VALIDITY OF THE 'ONE COUNTRY, TWO SYSTEMS' IDEA, WHICH WILL BE THE BEST WAY OF BOTH AFFIRMING EUROPEAN CULTURE IN THE EAST AND OF PRESERVING THE INTERESTS OF OUR TWO COUNTRIES AND OF THE PEOPLES OF HONG KONG AND MACAU.

1

WITH MY VERY BEST WISHES AND ASSURANCES OF MY HIGHEST ESTEEM, VASCO ROCHA VIEIRA.'

2. WHEN I HAD ROCHA VIEIRA TO DINNER ON 3 APRIL, HE TOLD ME HOW PLEASED HE HAD BEEN TO GET YOUR MESSAGE AND HOW MUCH HE LOOKED FORWARD TO COOPERATING WITH YOU. HE SAID THAT HE EXPECTED TO ARRIVE IN MACAU IN MID-MAY. BUT THE COUNCIL OF STATE HAS YET TO MEET TO CONFIRM HIS APPOINTMENT.

3. AN INTERESTING COMMENTARY IN THIS WEEK'S 'EXPRESSO (SUNDAY TIMES EQUIVALENT) SUGGESTS THAT ROCHA VIEIRA'S APPOINTMENT BRINGS TO AN END A PERIOD DURING WHICH PRESIDENT SOARES HAS USED PATRONAGE IN MACAU AS A MEANS OF REPAYING LOYAL SUPPORTERS. THE WRITER GOES ON TO ASK RHETORICALLY WHETHER SOARES IS NOW DETERMINED TO CLEAN UP MACAU, OR WHETHER ROCHA VIEIRA HITHERTO RECOGNISED AS A MAN OF INDEPENDENCE AND INTEGRITY - MIGHT BE WILLING TO ACT AS A RESPECTABLE FRONT FOR CONTINUED MAL-PRACTICE BEHIND THE SCENES. HE REASSURINGLY CONCLUDES THAT THE FORMER PROPOSITION IS FAR MORE LIKELY TO BE TRUE. I THINK SO TOO.

ARBUTHNOTT

YYYY

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