TNAG-2497-FCO40-3633-Relations-between-Hong-Kong-and-Macao-(Macau)-1992 — Page 19

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELNO 2629

OF 050205Z NOVEMBER 92

CONFIDENTIAL

HKD 020/3

36

022230

MDLIAN 2879

TOP COPY Q DIST?✔

INFO PRIORITY PEKING, LISBON, UKREP JLG HONG KONG, BTC HONG KONG

VISIT TO MACAU: 30-31 OCTOBER.

1.

I PAID MY FIRST OFFICIAL VISIT TO MACAU ON 30-31 OCTOBER. THE OFFICIAL PART OF MY VISIT CONSISTED OF:

(A)

(B)

(C)

A LUNCH HOSTED BY THE GOVERNOR AND MRS ROCHA VIEIRA: VISIT TO AND BRIEFINGS ON THE AIRPORT SITE, THE NEW (SECOND) BRIDGE FROM MACAU TO TAIPA AND THE STATE-OF-THE-ART INCINERATION PLANT:

A 45 MINUTE MEETING WITH THE GOVERNOR: AND

(D) A BRIEF PRESS CONFERENCE.

2. I ALSO ATTENDED A PERFORMANCE OF 'THE BARBER OF SEVILLE' AT THE FORTALEZA DO MONTE, AND SPENT MUCH OF 31 OCTOBER SIGHTSEEING AND SHOPPING BEFORE HAVING TEA WITH THE GOVERNOR AND HIS WIFE PRIOR TO MY RETURN TO HONG KONG.

3. I RECEIVED A VERY WARM WELCOME FROM THE GOVERNOR OF MACAU WHO EMPHASISED TO ME, AS HE HAD TO MY PREDECESSOR, HOW KEEN HE WAS TO BUILD UP CLOSE RELATIONS BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENTS OF THE TWO TERRITORIES. HIS MAIN INTEREST WAS IN THE STATE OF HONG KONG'S RELATIONS WITH PEKING, IN PARTICULAR FOLLOWING MY LEGCO ADDRESS ON 7 OCTOBER AND MY SUBSEQUENT VISIT TO PEKING.

4.

I BRIEFED THE GOVERNOR ON THE BACKGROUND TO AND RATIONALE FOR MY PROPOSALS ON CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT, ON WHAT HAD HAPPENED DURING MY VISIT TO PEKING AND ON THE CHINESE RESPONSE THEREAFTER. I EXPLAINED THE CHINESE ATTITUDE TO THE NEW AIRPORT IN HONG KONG AND OUR INTENTION TO MOVE STEP BY STEP UNTIL SUCH TIME AS WE HAD REACHED AGREEMENT WITH THEM.

5.

THE GOVERNOR OF MACAU SAID THAT HE DID NOT THINK THE CHINESE REALLY WANTED CONFLICT WITH HONG KONG, BUT THEY WERE NOT USED TO MY STYLE. HE THOUGHT THAT I HAD ESTABLISHED A STRONG POSITION, GIVEN THE POPULARITY OF MY PROPOSALS AND THE BUOYANCY OF THE HONG KONG ECONOMY. PROVIDED THAT THESE TWO FACTORS CONTINUED TO BE

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