Portugal's 106-year diplomatic presence in Hong Kong looks set to end as Lisbon moves to trim the cost of running its overseas missions.
The move - which diplomats expect to be confirmed soon - will almost certainly see the role of Portugal's Macau consulate boosted, making it Lisbon's diplomatic nerve centre in the Pearl River Delta.
Closure would effectively mean that Hong Kong's Portuguese residents would need to seek consular help from Macau if they were in difficulty.
As well as Hong Kong, officials in Lisbon have plans to close missions in Osnabruk in Germany, Porto Alegre in Brasil and those in Nancy, Rouen, Reims and Bayonne in France, according to reports from the Portuguese news agency Lusa.
As of February this year there were 8,000 Portuguese nationals resident in Hong Kong, according to the Immigration Department.
Portugal's consul-general in Hong Kong, Joao Paulo Matos Sequeira, said: 'So far we have had no official declaration from Lisbon.' However, in private, diplomats say it is almost certain the Hong Kong mission will close as soon as Lisbon finalises its plans. It is understood some staff could be offered positions in Macau.
Ironically, the consulate was closed for one day this week due to a strike by administrative staff in Portugal over working conditions.