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CONFIDENTIAL
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CONFIDENTIAL
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TELNO 2900 OF 5/12/84
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INFO IMMEDIATE HHNG KONG
10 DEC 1984
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MIPT: CALL ON ZHOU NAN: PRIME MINISTER'S VISIT: HONG KONG
ATTENDANCE
1. ZHOU SAID HE WISHED TO CONCENTRATE ON THE HONG KONG OBSERVORS AT THE SIGNATURE CEREMONY. HE MADE THE FOLLOWING COMMENTS:
(A) THE OBSERVERS SHOULD NOT BE FORMED INTO OR DESCRIBED AS A DELEGATION OR GROUP.TTVIS WOULD REQUIRE A LEADER TO BE CHOSEN AND WOULD CAUSE HIFFICULTIES. INVITATIONS WOULD THEREFORE BE ISSUED TO PERSONS TO ATTEND THE SIGNATURE CEREMONY AS OBSERVERS'.
(B) ZHOU RECALLED HIS VIEW THAT THE OBSERVERS SHOULD BOT BE TOO FEW IN NUMBER. BAD FEELING WOULD OTHERWISE DE CAUSED. HE CITED AS AN EXAMPLE INVITING THE LEADER OF THE CATHOLIC BUT NOT THE PROTESTANT COMMUNITY AND SPOKE OF THE DIFFICULTY OF ACHIEVING BALANCE. HE SAID THE CHINESE SIDE HAD STRIVEN TO KEEP THE NUMBER ZF OBSERVERS UNDER 100. THIS HAD BEEN DIFFICULT BUT THQY EXPECTED
HUST TO ACHIEVE THIS.
(C) ZHOU GAVE ME A LIST IN CHINESE (NO ENGLISH TRANSLATION) CONTAINING A TOTAL OF 74 NAMES. OUR TRANSLATION OF THIS LIST IS IN MIFT. ZHOU SAID THAT THE LIST WAS TENTATIVE AS WELL AS HNCOMPLETE. HE EXPECTED THE TOTAL TO BE INCREASED BY A FURTHER 20 OR SO NAMES AND HOPED TO PROVIDE THESE BY THE END OF THE WEEK. HE COMMENTED THAT THE INDIVIDUALS HAD EARLIER IDENTIFIED AS BEING AMONGST THOSE WE SHOULD WISH TO SEE INVITED (SIR S Y CHUNG, LOBO AND DAVIES) WERE INCLUDED IN THE LIST. HE WENT ON TO CLAIM THAT HAD EARLIER TOLD HIM THAT WE HOPED TO SUGGEST FOUR OR FIVE, AND A MAXIMUM OF TEN, NAMES FOR INCLUSION WITH THE OBSERVERS. IF SUCH INDIVIDULLS WERE NOT INCLUDED AMONGST THOSE ON THE LIST HE HAD GIVEN ME, WE COULD PUT THEM FORWARD FOR CONSIDERATION.
(D) ZHOU SAID THAT, AFTER CAREFUL CONSIDERATION AND TAKING INTO ACCOUAT HONG KONG'S COMPLEX REALITIES'', THE CHINESE SIDE HAD DECIDED TO ISSUE THE INVITATIONS TO PERSONS ONLY AS INDIVIDUALS.
THEY DID NOT INTEND TO ISSUE INVITATIONS TO GROUPS OR ORGANISATIONS. HE POINTED OUT THAT THE LIST IDENTIFIED THE IOFGICIAL STATUS OF EACH PERSON. THIS WAS FOR CONVENIENCE OF REFERENCE ONLY. HE SAID SPECIFICALLY THAT THE INVITATIONS TO UMELCO MEMBEPS WOULD BE
EXTENDED TO THEM AS INDIVIDUALS. THEY (AND ALL OTHERS WOULD BE
FREE TO STATE PUBLICLY WHAT THEIR OFFICIAL CAPACITIES WERE.
CONFIDENTIAL
(月)