GR 500
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
FM PEKING 070855Z OCT 83
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 994 OF 7 OCTOBER
INFO ROUTINE HONG KONG
MIPT: CONSULAR AGREEMENT
HICK
34911
10 OCT 1983
町
/Gut
Mas wother or
1. WE ARE NOW VERY CLOSE TO AGREEMENT ON A TEXT. ARTICLE 2
IS THE KEY. IT LOOKS AS IF THE CHINESE ARE PREPARED TO DIG
IN THEIR HEELS ON THIS, AND AN ENTRY IN THE RECORD OF THE
NEGOTIATIONS IS THE BEST WE ARE LIKELY TO ACHIEVE IMMEDIATELY.
WE MIGHT PERHAPS ACHIEVE MORE IF WE WERE PREPARED TO HOLD
OUT INDEFINITELY ON THIS, BUT WE COULD NOT BE CERTAIN EVEN THEM
OF EVENTUAL SUCCESS, AND WE DO NOT REALLY THINK IT IS WORTH
THE RISK OF A LONG DELAY, WOULD IT BE HELPFUL IF WE WERE TO
SEEK AN AGREED RECORD ON THE FOLLOWING LINES:
see (800)
** THE BRITISH SIDE STATED THAT THEY WOULD EXPECT THE
CHINESE SIDE TO DISCUSS WITH THE RELEVANT AUTHORITIES IN THE
UK SPECIFIC PROPOSALS FOR THE SITING OF THEIR CONCULATE IN
MANCHESTER. THEY FURTHER ASSURED THE CHINESE SIDE THAT THEY
WOULD NOT RAISE UNREASONABLE OBJECTIONS TO ANY SPECIFIC PROPOSALS.
THE CHINESE SIDE CONFIRMED THAT IT WAS THEIR INTENTION IN
DUE COURSE TO DISCUSS ANY SPECIFIC PROPOSALS FOR SITING OF
THEIR CONSULATE WITH ALL PARTIES CONCERNED, INCLUDING THE RELEVANT AUTHORITIES, AND THAT THEY WOULD NOT PROCEED WITH ANY PROPOSAL IF IT MET WITH STRONG OBJECTIONS FROM THE RELEVANT
AUTHORITIES'.
3. THIS RATHER TORTURED TEXT ATTEMPTS TO DEAL WITH SOME OF
THE SPECIFIC OBJECTIONS RAISED THIS MORNING BY THE CHINESE,
WHILE AT THE SAME TIME PROVIDING A BASIS FOR AN OBJECTION IF
WE CONSIDERED IT NECESSARY TO MAKE ONE TO ANY PROPOSAL FOR THE
SITING OF THEIR CONSULATE. GRATEFUL IF YOU WOULD LET US KNOW
IF YOU SEE ANY VALUE IN IT.
4. ON ARTICLE 1 THERE SEEMS NO REASON TO GIVE FURTHER GROUND, AND WE WOULD PROPOSE TO STICK AT 9, ALLOWING THEM CLEVELAND
OR DERBYSHIRE BUT NOT BOTH.
CONFIDENTIAL
P ཝཾཝཎཱཡཾ---་
/ 5. ON ARTICLE 7
a
93