4. HN CONCLUSION, THE GOVERNOR SAID THAT HMG WERE FULLY COMMITTED
TO FINDING A SOLUTION WHICH WAS ACCEPTABLE TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG
KONG. SINCE THE PROBLEMS WERE COMPLEX, THE PROCESS WAS BOUND TO
TAKE TIME. IN THE MEANTIME, WE HAD JUDGED IT BEST NOT TO
RESPOND TO THE CHINESE PROPAGANDA CAMPAIGN BY INITIATING A CAMPAIGN
OF OUR OWN. THERE WAS A NATURAL TEMPTATION TO DO SO, BUT A
PUBLIC CONFRONTATION WITH THE CHINESE WOULD BE MORE LIKELY TO
DISTURB THAN TO REASSURE PEOPLE IN HONG KONG.
5. WE INBERGER ASKED A FEW QUESTION, NONE OF THEM TOO SEARCHING.
THE NEAREST HE CAME TO PROBING OUR NEGOTIATING OBJECTIVES WAS WHEN
HE ENQUIRED OVER BREAKFAST WHETHER WE WERE SEEKING SOME KIND OF
MANAGEMENT CONTRACT TO RUN HONG KONG AFTER 1997. THE GOVERNOR SAND
THAT WE HAD NOT YET GOT DOWN TO THAT SORT OF DETAIL.
1
6. AM REPORTING SEPARATELY SOME POINTS WHICH EMERGED ON THE
CHINA TRIP.
SIGNED R JT MCLAREN
N N N N
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