THIS IS A COPY THE ORIGINAL HAS BEEN
YEARS UNDER FOI CLOSED FOR
EXEMPTION No. 40, 41, 38,
27(1)
GR5350 SECRET
SECRET
FM HONG KONG 2510152 MAR 83
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 412 OF 25 MARCH 1983
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING (PERSONAL FOR AMBASSADOR)
YOUR TELNO 269: FUTURE OF HONG KONG: CPPCC
202
HKK040||
28 MAR 1983
1. AS FORECAST TW MY TELNO 301 THIS QUESTION WAS RAISED BY UNOFFICIALS AT EXCO ON 23 MARCH. T S LO REPORTED THAT HE HAD! ASKED HIS NONA CONTACT FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ABOUT THE CPPCC, WHY HE WAS BEING INVITED TO ATTEND AND IN WHAT CAPACITY. HE HAD ALSO ASKED WHY OTHERS, SUCH AS FOR EXAMPLE HAD NOT BEEN INVITED. HE HAD BEEN TOLD THAT THIS WAS BEING DONE. HE HAD THEN SAID THAT HE WOULD LEAVE HIS OWN RESPONSE OPEN UNTIL
RC WOULD FOLLOW
2.
HAD REPLIED. (HE HAS SINCE TOLD NCNA THAT
SAID THAT GIVEN THE IMPORTANCE OF THE ISSUE, HE HAD SUGGESTED TO ME THAT THE ADVICE OF THE FCO AND HM AMBASSADOR SHOULD BE OBTAINED. HE REPORTED THAT UNOFFICIALS HAD DISCUSSED THE MATTER BUT WITHOUT REACHING A CONSENSUS ON WHETHER THE INVITATIONS SHOULD BE ACCEPTED OR NOT.
3. I TOLD EXCO THAT I HAD CONSULTED YOU AND THE AMBASSADOR. WE WERE GENERALLY AGREED THAT THE INVITATIONS SHOULD NOT BE ACCEPTED. I OUTLINED THE REASONS FOR REACHING THIS CONCLUSION DRAWING ON THE ARGUMENTS IN YOUR TUR, PEKING TELNO 261 AND
MY TELNO 381.22
4. UNOFFICIALS ACCEPTED THAT MEMBERSHIP OF THE CPPCC WOULD NOT BE COMPATIBLE WITH MEMBERSHIP OF EXCO AND WERE EVENTUALLY UNANIMOUS IN THE VIEW THAT THE INVITATIONS TO BECOME MEMBERS SHOULD NOT BE ACCEPTED. BUT THEY WERE EQUALLY CLEAR THAT THE INVITATIONS SHOULD NOT BE DECLINED IN SUCH A WAY AS TO CLOSE THE DOOR TO FUTURE INFORMAL CONTACTS BETWEEN EXCO UNOFFICIALS AND THE CHINESE: THEY WERE CONCERNED THAT OUTRIGHT REFUSAL MIGHT ENABLE THE CHINESE TO ISOLATE EXCO UNOFFICIALS WITHIN THE HONG KONG COMMUNITY. I SAID THAT I DID NOT RULE OUT INFORMAL CONTACTS IN THE RIGHT CIRCUMSTANCES, BUT THE TIMING AND CONTENT OF SUCH CONTACTS WOULD REQUIRE VERY CAREFUL CON- SIDERATION.
5. IT WAS LEFT THAT
WOULD EXPLORE FURTHER WHAT
THE CHINESE HAD IN MIND AT HIS LUNCH WITH NONA LATER THAT DAY.
ON THIS SEE MIFT.
CM1514
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