UNCLASSIFIED
66041 MDHIAN 1914.
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INTRODUCTION.
OTHER TOPICS RAISED INCLUDED LOCALISATION, THE TRANSLATION OF LAWS AND THE TRAINING OF CHINESE JUDGES. LI PENG ASSURED HIS INTERLOCUTORS THAT THE BASIC LAW WOULD BE COMPATIBLE WITH THE JOINT DECLARATION. HE REAFFIRMED CHINESE SUPPORT FOR THE MACAU AIRPORT PROJECT. ROCHA VIEIRA COMMENTED AFTER HIS CALL THAT LI PENG HAD TOLD HIM THAT IT WAS QUOTE A POINT OF HONOUR TO ASSURE MACAU OF A FUTURE OF GREAT AUTONOMY ... CHINESE SOVEREIGNTY WOULD ONLY BE EXERCISED OVER FOREIGN AND DEFENCE AFFAIRS UNQUOTE.
5.
PRESS COVERAGE OF THE VISIT HAS CONCENTRATED OVERWHELMINGLY ON HUMAN RIGHTS. THE CHINESE THROUGHOUT ADOPTED THEIR STANDARD LINE THAT HUMAN RIGHTS WERE AN INTERNAL AFFAIR, AND THAT DIFFERENT INTERPRETATIONS OF THEM WERE DUE TO CULTURAL AND IDEOLOGICAL DIFFERENCES. CHINA COULD NOT, LI PENG ARGUED, BE JUDGED BY QUOTE WESTERN NORMS UNQUOTE. CAVACO CONVEYED THE EC POSITION ON HUMAN RIGHTS (AS DID PINHEIRO TO QIAN QICHEN), BUT LI PENG WAS PROBABLY MORE DISCOMFITED BY HIS MEETING AT THE PORTUGUESE ASSEMBLY, AT WHICH THE PRESIDENT OF THE ASSEMBLY AND THE LEADERS OF THE VARIOUS PARLIAMENTARY GROUPS, PARTICULARLY SOCIALIST JAIME GAMA, ATTACKED CHINA'S RECORD. LI PENG RESPONDED BY ATTACKING THE PORTUGUESE RECORD ON EAST TIMOR, SUGGESTING THAT INDONESIAN CRITICISM OF THE WAY IN WHICH PORTUGAL LEFT THE TERRITORY WAS JUSTIFIED, THAT PORTUGAL HAD ONLY TAKEN AN INTEREST IN EAST TIMOR SINCE THE DILI MASSACRE, AND THAT WHAT PORTUGAL DID SAY WAS COMPROMISED BY HER STATUS AS THE EX-COLONIAL POWER.
6.
THE LINK WITH EAST TIMOR HAS ALSO BEEN RAISED IN ONE OR TWO PRESS ARTICLES CRITICISING LI PENG'S VISIT. PORTUGAL SHOULD NOT, THEY ARGUE, HAVE HOSTED A VISIT BY THE PERPETRATOR OF ONE MASSACRE AT A TIME WHEN THE GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN SEEKING TO ISOLATE INDONESIA AFTER A SIMILAR INCIDENT. THERE HAVE ALSO BEEN ONE OR TWO DEMONSTRATIONS BY STUDENTS AND YOUNG SOCIALISTS AGAINST LI PENG'S VISIT, BUT THE POLICE EFFECTIVELY ISOLATED HIM FROM ANY DANGER OF CONFRONTATION.
7.
THE PORTUGUESE WILL NO DOUBT BE BRIEFING THE ASIA WORKING GROUP IN BRUSSELS TODAY. WE SHALL REPORT AGAIN IF WE DISCOVER ANY FURTHER INFORMATION HERE.
ARBUTHNOTT
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