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OO TOKYO
RR PEKING
GRS 574
SECRET
FM FCO 221800Z NOVEMBER 83
TO IMMEDIATE TOKYO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 428 OF 22 NOVEMBER
HKK040/5
RECEIVED IN HE 20NO
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INFO PEKING (PERSONAL FOR AMBASSADOR) HONG KONG (PERSONAL FOR
GOVERNOR)
PERSONAL FOR AMBASSADOR FROM DONALD
BRIEFING THE JAPANESE ON HONG KONG
1. ON 17 NOVEMBER SUNOSAKI, FIRST SECRETARY AT THE JAOANESE EMBASSY, CALLED ON HONG KONG DEPARTMENT SEEKING INFORMATION ON THE
TALKS ON HONG KONG. HE WAS GIVEN A GENERAL BRIEFING, IN THE
COURSE OF WHICH HE WAS TOLD THAT NEITHER SIDE HAD MADE ANY FUNDA-
MENTAL CONCESSIONS. IN THIS CONTEXT SUNOSAKI BROUGHT UP THE
FORTHCOMING VISIT OF HU YAOBANG TO JAPAN FROM 23-30 NOVEMBER. HE
SAID THE JAPANESE GOVERNMENT DID NOT WISH TO RAISE THE SUBJECT OF
HONG KONG WITH HU ALTHOUGH THEY WOULD PROBABLY INDICATE THAT THEY WERE WATCHING THE NEGOTIATIONS CAREFULLY AND HOPED THAT A
SATISFACTORY AGREEMENT WOULD BE REACHED.
2. AT LAST NIGHT'S DINNER AT THE JAPANESE EMBASSY, IN CONNECTION WITH THE CURRENT VISIT OF OKAZAKI FOR THE ANGLO-JAPANESE PLANNING TALKS, THE SUBJECT OF HU YAOBANG'S VISIT ALSO CAME UP WHEN SATOH, THE COUNSELLOR, ASKED ME ABOUT THE HONG KONG NEGOTIATIONS. 3. I SAID THAT WE WERE AWARE THAT CHINESE LEADERS WERE IN THE
HABIT OF DISCUSSING ASPECTS OF THE HONG KONG NEGOTIATIONS IN A ONE-SIDED WAY WITH VISITING DIGNITARIES, FOR EXAMPLE THE PRESIDENT OF THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION AND THE AUSTRALIAN FOREIGN MINISTER ON RECENT VISITS TO PEKING.IT WAS LIKELY THAT HU YAOBANG MIGHT ATTEMPT
IN TOKYO TO SPEAK IN THE SAME COLOURED WAY. HE MIGHT, FOR EXAMPLE, SAY THAT THE BRITISH WERE BEING STUBBORN ABOUT INSISTING ON
MAINTAINING BRITISH ADMINISTRATION IN HONG KONG AFTER L997 OR SEEKING SOMETHING LIKE CO-ADMINISTRATION. ALTERNATIVELY, HU MIGHT SUGGEST THAT WE HAD MADE FUNDAMENTAL CONCESSIONS AND THAT HAVING CONCEDED THE IMPORTANT POINTS OF PRINCIPLE TO THE CHINESE
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