CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL FM HOLY SEE
TO DESKBY 20140OZ FCO
TELNO 23
OF 20105OZ MARCH 89
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG, PEKING
1
A.1.1
IEXTERNAL
A.i.i HEL EXTERNAL
052307
MDHIAN 7434
YOUR TELNO 692 TO HONG KONG: VATICAN OFFICE IN HONG KONG
+
I HAVE NOW RECEIVED FROM THE VATICAN AN AIDE MEMOIRE, AS FORESHADOWED IN PARAGRAPH 3 OF MY TELNO 21 (TEXT IN MY IMMEDIATE FOLLOWING TELEGRAM).
2. THE DEFINITION OF THE ROLE OF THE PROPOSED VATICAN OFFICE IN PARAGRAPH 2 OF THE AIDE MEMOIRE, IS MORE PRECISE THAN WHAT ARCHBISHOP SODANO EXPLAINED EARLIER. THE COORDINATION OF
ACTIVITIES IN SUPPORT OF CATHOLICS IN CHINA COULD BE A
SENSITIVE MATTER ESPECIALLY GIVEN THE VATICAN'S CONTINUING DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WITH TAIWAN. I SUGGEST THAT THE PRO-
NUNCIO IS TOLD THAT IT IS BECAUSE THE HOLY SEE STILL HAS
DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WITH TAIWAN THAT THE ESTABLSIHMENT OF
ANY SEPARATE OFFICE IN HONG KONG PRESENTS SUCH DIFFICULTIES AND THAT WE BELIEVE, AS I UNDERSTAND TO TBE THE CASE, THAT THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES ARE QUITE LIKELY TO OBJECT TO SUCH
SEPARATE REPRESENTATION EVEN IF IT HAS ONLY ECCLESIASTICAL RESPONSIBILITIES. THE VATICAN SEEMS TO BE RATHER NAIVE IN THINKING THAT THE CHINESE ARE UNLIKELY TO ATTRIBUTE ANY
POLITICAL MOTIVE TO THEIR INTEREST IN HAVING THEIR OWN OFFICE
HONG KONG.
3. I ALSO SUGGEST THAT THE PRO-NUNCIO SHOULD BE ASKED ABOUT THE VATICAN'S REASONS FOR MAINTAINING RELATIONS WITH TAIWAN WHEN THEIR ECCLESIASTICAL INTERESTS IN CHINA SEEM TO BE SO MUCH GREATER AND MORE PRESSING. IF YOU CONSIDER THAT THE STRATEGY WHICH ARCHBISHOP SODANO EXPLAINED TO ME (PARAGRAPH 4 OF MY TELNO 21) IS MISTAKEN, THEN IT WOULD BE WELL WORTH- WHILE PUTTING OUR POINT OF VIEW TO THE PRO-NUNCIO.
4. AS IS MADE PLAIN IN THE AIDE MEMOIRE, THE HOLY SEE IS INTENT ON HAVING ITS OWN REPRESENTATIVE IN HONG KONG AND DOES NOT WISH TO BE SEEN TO BE REPRESENTED BY CARDINAL WU. THIS DISTINCTION BETWEEN THE HOLY SEE'S RESPONSIBILITIES AND THOSE OF THE LOCAL HIERARCHY IS STRONGLY MAINTAINED
PAGE 1 CONFIDENTIAL
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