Translation by PT_Coelho - in Publico (Portuguese daily newspaper) 21 Jan

"The Portuguese Foreign Affairs Minister, Jaime Gama, restate yesterday that the Portuguese Penal Code, which does not allow the death penalty or life sentence, will be kept in Macao, after the transference of this territory to China, in December 1999. These statements were made during the meeting with the Chinese Foreign Affairs Minister, Qian Qichen, held in Portugal.

The issue of East Timor (facing with in Indonesia a similar situation of Tibet with China) was also approached. Qian Qichen has consider East Timor a "delicate" question between Portugal and Indonesia and expressed his hope that the negociations between the two countries will originate historical results.

Chi Haotian, Chinese Minister of Defence, also present in this meeting, took the chance to reject the "common theory" that chinese army forces are a global threat ans stated that China follows a "defensive policy".