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GRS 300
CONFIDENTIAL
TOP COPY
CONFIDENTIAL HKK 040/$59.
FM HONG KONG 20035OZ DEC 34
TO IMMEDIATE F C O
RECEIVED IN RESISTRY
27 DEC 1984
DESK OFFICER
TELEGRAM NUMBER 3036 OF 20 DECEMBER
INDEX
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING
IY
PA
bution laken
6
FOLLOWING FROM PRIVATE SECRETARY
PEKING TELNO 2043: SECRETARY OF STATE'S MEETING WITH WU.
see also
HKCIC
1. ON THE WAY TO PEKING AIRPORT ZHOU NAN RAISED A NUMBER OF POINTS
WHICH HAD BEEN DISCUSSED WITH WU LAST NIGHT.
BASIC LAW
2. ZHOU NAN MADE PLAIN THAT THE CHINESE COULD ACCEPT NO IMPRESSION
THAT CHINESE SOVEREIGNTY WAS BEING INFRINGED IN THE SENSE THAT THE
BASIC LAW WAS IN ANY WAY A JOINT SINO-BRITISH OPERATION. HENCE
SENDING ADVICE THROUGH THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP WOULD NOT BE ACCEPT-
ABLE. ZHOU NAN REPEATED WHAT ZHAO HAD SAID ABOUT CONSULTING HONG
KONG OPINION BUT ADDED THAT THERE WERE, OF COURSE, MANY WAYS OF
TENDERING ADVICE PROVIDED THAT THE IMPRESSION OF INFRINGING CHINESE
SOVEREIGNTY WAS AVOIDED.
040/53 168 040/8
JOINT LIAISON GROUP
3. ZHOU NAN INDICATED THAT THE CHINESE WOULD ACCEPT PEOPLE WITH FULL
BRITISH CITIZENSHIP AS FULL MEMBERS OF THE BRITISH TEAM EVEN IF THEY
WERE WORKING FOR THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT. 3DTCS WOULD NOT BE
ACCEPTABLE AS FULL MEMBERS OF THE BRITISH DELEGATION BUT WOULD BE
INCLUDED IN THE EXPERT GROUPS.
4
ZHOU WENT ON TO SAY THAT IT WAS TIME TO BEGIN THINKING ABOUT THE
WORK OF THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP. THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT LOOKED
FORWARD TO RECEIVING SUGGESTIONS FROM THE BRITISH SIDE ABOUT TIME-
TABLE, AGENDA AND VENUE. THE SECRETARY OF STATE SAID THAT WE LOOK FORWARD TO SIMILAR PROPOSALS FROM THE CHINESE.
NATIONALITY
5. ZHOU NAN RE-EMPHASISED THAT THE FORMULA WHICH WE HAD PROPOSED
COULD NOT BE ACCEPTED BY THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT. HE GAVE THE CLEAR
IMPRESSION THAT THE PHRASE BRITISH NATIONALITY CAUSED NO REAL
CONFIDENTIAL
/ PROBLEM.