Agreement on Portugal's Consulate General in Macao SAR Reached 　　China and Portugal reached an agreement in Macao on July 28 on the establishment of the Portuguese consulate general in the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR). 　　According to the agreement, Portugal will set up the consulate general in the Macao SAR on December 20, 1999. 　　The agreement was reached in accordance with the related stipulations in the Sino-Portuguese Joint Declaration on the Question of Macao and through friendly consultations, sources with the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs told Xinhua. 　　So far, 53 countries have entrusted their consul generals or honorary consuls to Macao (with their permanent residence in Hong Kong). According to the stipulations in the Basic Law of the Macao Special Administrative Region, by mid-July, China had reached agreements with 36 countries on maintaining their consular missions to Macao and negotiations on the issue between China and the remaining 17 countries are still under way. (Xinhua) HomeNews 1999-07-29 Page4 Full Story in Chinese