TNAG-2290-FCO40-3296-Relations-between-Hong-Kong-and-Macau-1991 — Page 215

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MDHIAN 5321

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COMMITMENT THAT PORTUGUESE WOULD BE AN OFFICIAL LANGUAGE AFTER THE RETURN OF MACAU TO CHINA. CATARINO SUGGESTED THAT WHAT THE PORTUGUESE HAD GOT FROM THE CHINESE PERHAPS WENT A LITTLE BEYOND THE LANGUAGE OF THE HONG KONG BASIC LAW, BUT THAT OBJECTIVE FACTS WOULD IN REALITY DETERMINE THE EXTENT TO WHICH BOTH PORTUGUESE AND

ENGLISH WERE USED IN THE RESPECTIVE TERRITORIES. THE PORTUGUESE PRESS MEANWHILE REPORT QIAN QICHEN AS SAYING THAT AFTER 1999 'THE OFFICIAL LANGUAGE WILL BECOME CHINESE, BUT PORTUGUESE WILL CONTINUE TO BE USED IN THE TERRITORY, NOTWITHSTANDING INTEGRATION'.

6.

THERE HAD BEEN SOME DISCUSSION OVER THE PREMISES FOR THE PORTUGUESE CONSULATE AND RESIDENCE FOR THE CONSUL-GENERAL. CATARINO

SUGGESTED THAT FOR THE PORTUGUESE THIS WAS A FAR MORE IMPORTANT

PROBLEM THAN FOR THE UK IN HONG KONG. THE PORTUGUESE WANTED TO OCCUPY AND THUS PRESERVE SOME OLD BUILDINGS OF CULTURAL AND SYMBOLIC SIGNIFICANCE. THE CHINESE, FOR THEIR PART, WANTED TO BUILD A NEW RESIDENCE AND OFFICES FOR THEIR JLG REPRESENTATIVE AND STAFF. THE

TALKS BETWEEN PINHEIRO AND QIAN QICHEN HAD NOT PRODUCED A SOLUTION BUT, ACCORDING TO CATARINO, HAD ESTABLISHED A 'FAVOURABLE MOMENTUM'.

7. BOTH PINHEIRO AND PRESIDENT SOARES IN THEIR DISCUSSIONS WITH

QIAN QICHEN HAD RAISED THE PROBLEM OF THE MACAU AIRPORT. QIAN

QICHEN HAD REAFFIRMED CHINESE POLITICAL COMMITMENT TO THE PROJECT

AND SUGGESTED THAT DELAYS WERE DUE TO THE OTHER AUTHORITIES INVOLVED AND THE CONSEQUENT DIFFICULTIES OF DECISION TAKING. HE HAD TRIED TO SUGGEST TO BOTH PINHEIRO AND PRESIDENT SOARES THAT THE PROBLEM WAS NOT UNIQUE TO THE MACAU AIRPORT, AND THAT THE HONG KONG AIRPORT WAS ALSO PRESENTING SOME DIFFICULTIES. CATARINO WAS AT PAINS TO STRESS

TO BUCK THAT A LINKAGE BETWEEN THE TWO ISSUES WAS THE LAST THING THAT THE PORTUGUESE WANTED: THEY HAD EVERYTHING TO GAIN FROM COMPLETION OF THE HONK KONG AIRPORT. THE IMMEDIATE PROBLEM IN MACAU WAS THAT THE DEADLINE FOR SIGNATURE OF A MAJOR CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT WAS ONLY TWO MONTHS AWAY. AT THE MOMENT SHAREHOLDERS IN THE WINNING CONSORTIUM WERE REFUSING TO ALLOW SIGNATURE SO LONG AS THE CHINESE APPEARED TO BE PUTTING THE FUTURE OF THE PROJECT IN DOUBT. IF THE DEADLINE WERE MISSED, THE MACAU AUTHORITIES WOULD HAVE TO START THE TENDERING PROCESS ALL OVER AGAIN. LU PING WOULD BE VISITING MACAU LATER THIS WEEK. THE PORTUGUESE HOPED FOR MORE CONCRETE PROGRESS ON THE AIRPORT DURING THAT VISIT.

8. QIAN QICHEN HAD REITERATED CONTINUING CHINESE CONCERN OVER THE SLOW PACE OF LOCALISATION OF THE CIVIL SERVICE AND OF THE TRANSLATION AND LOCALISATION OF MACAU LAWS. THE PORTUGUESE HAD EXPRESSED APPRECIATION FOR THE WAY IN WHICH THE CHINESE HAD KEPT

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