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FM PEKING 2710152 JAN 84
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TOP COPY
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 159 OF 27TH JAN 84
RECEIVED IN NEGISTRY
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
HICK CIA 96, HECK
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MY TELNOS 144 AND 157: FUTURE OF HONG KONG: THE WAY AHEAD.
1. I HAVE GAINED TWO PARTICULARLY STRONG IMPRESSIONS DURING
THE PAST FEW DAYS. THE FIRST IS THAT THE CHINESE ARE
PRISONERS OF THEIR PUBLIC COMMITMENT TO MAKE A UNILATERAL
STATEMENT ABOUT THEIR OWN PLAN IN SEPTEMBER 1984 IF NO
AGREEMENT WITH US HAS BEEN REACHED BY THEN. THE OTHER IS
THAT THEY ARE DEEPLY SUSPICIOUS ABOUT THE REASONS WHY WE HAVE
NOT BEEN ABLE TO TABLE OUR REMAINING WORKING PAPERS MORE
QUICKLY.
2. ON THE FIRST OF THESE, THE PREFERRED ESCAPE ROUTE OF THE
CHINESE IS TO WORK FOR COMPLETE AGREEMENT WITH US BEFORE
SEPTEMBER. THIS, IN THEIR VIEW, WOULD ENTAIL COMPLETING
ITEMS OF THE AGREED AGENDA AND WORKING OUT THE TEXT DISCUSSION WITH US OF ALL THREE OF A BILATERAL AGREEMENT. I
SHALL TELEGRAPH ABOUT THE IMPLICATIONS OF THIS AS THEY APPEAR
TO US HERE AFTER THE WEEKEND.
3. ON THE SECOND, IT WILL BE HARD TO CONVINCE THE CHINESE
THAT THE ONLY REASON WHY IT IS TAKING SOME TIME TO TABLE
THE PAPERS IS THE REASON WHICH WE HAVE GIVEN, IE THAT THEY DEAL WITH IMPORTANT SUBJECTS WHICH REQUIRE VERY THOROUGH
CONSIDERATION.
4.
ABOVE AND BEYOND THIS, WE FACE A DIFFICULT OPERATIONAL PROBLEM. HOW DO WE GET TO, AND THROUGH, THE NEXT ROUND WITHOUT DAMAGING THE EVIDENT WILLINGNESS OF THE CHINESE TO STUDY, RESPOND TO AND (WE BELIEVE) ABSORB INTO THEIR OWN
PLANNING THE CONTENT OF OUR WORKING PAPERS? THE GOVERNOR
TOLD ME THIS MORNING THAT HE INTENDED TO TELEGRAPH SOME
RECOMMENDATIONS TO YOU ABOUT THIS SHORTLY. I WILL COMMENT
WHEN HE HAS DONE THIS. MEANWHILE, I THINK THE ASSUMPTION ON
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