30
CONFIDENTIAL
151645
MOLIAN 5308
4KC
02013
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 1733
OF 261045Z JUNE 92
INFO PRIORITY PEKING, LISBON, UKREP JLG HONG KONG, BTC HONG KONG
TOP COPY Q DIST?
ст.
CM.:
FAREWELL VISIT TO MACAU: 26 JUNE.
1
*
I PAID A BRIEF FAREWELL VISIT TO MACAU TODAY (26 JUNE). THIS
INVOLVED A VISIT TO THE ATTRACTIVE OLD BUILDING OF THE LEAL SENADO, A MEETING WITH THE GOVERNOR AND A LUNCH HOSTED BY THE GOVERNOR AND MRS. ROCHA VIEIRA, TO WHICH THEY HAD KINDLY INVITED STEPHEN DAY AS CONSUL-GENERAL. I TRAVELLED TO MACAU BY HELICOPTER, THE FIRST SUCH JOURNEY, I BELIEVE BY A GOVERNOR OF
HONG KONG,
2.
DURING OUR MEETING, THE GOVERNOR OF MACAU MADE IT CLEAR ONCE AGAIN, AS HE HAD ON HIS VISIT TO HONG KONG IN JANUARY, THAT HE WAS VERY KEEN TO BUILD UP PERSONAL RELATIONS BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENTS OF OUR TWO TERRITORIES, AND THANKED ME FOR WHAT I HAD DONE TO ACHIEVE THIS. I TOLD HIM THAT I HOPED THAT OUR OFFICIALS COULD DEVELOP THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO THE EXTENT THAT THEY COULD DISCUSS ISSUES OVER THE PHONE. REGULAR BILATERAL VISITS WOULD ALSO BE USEFUL. WE HAD MANY ISSUES IN COMMON, AND COULD HELP EACH OTHER WITH EXPERIENCE OF HOW WE HAD HANDLED MATTERS WITH THE CHINESE.
3. THE GOVERNOR OF MACAU SAID THAT HE DID NOT UNDERSTAND WHY THE CHINESE WERE BEING SO DIFFICULT ABOUT HONG KONG'S NEW AIRPORT I EXPLAINED THAT THEY WERE VERY SUSPICIOUS OF BRITISH
INTENTIONS. BUT WE COULD DEAL WITH ANY SPECIFIC PROBLEMS THAT
THEY PUT FORWARD. I WAS SURE THAT THE PRESENT IMPASSE COULD BE RESOLVED, ALTHOUGH I WAS LESS CERTAIN ABOUT PRECISELY WHEN. ONE WAY OR ANOTHER, THE AIRPORT WOULD CERTAINLY GO AHEAD. WE WERE ALREADY GETTING AHEAD WITH A NUMBER OF AIRPORT-RELATED PROJECTS,
E.G. THE TSING-MA BRIDGE.
I ASKED ABOUT THE PRESENT POSITION ON THE MACAU AIRPORT. THE
GOVERNOR OF MACAU SAID THAT THE NATURE OF THE PROJECT WOULD NOW BE CHANGED, SO THAT MOST OF THE AIRPORT PLATFORM WAS RECLAIMED AND PILING WOULD ONLY BE USED FOR THE TAXI-WAY. THE CHINESE HAD INITIALLY EXPRESSED SOME CONCERN AT THIS CHANGE, BUT HAD NOW
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CONFIDENTIAL
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