GRS 450
CONFIDENTIAL
FM PEKING
TO DESKBY 26113OZ FCO
TELNO 1731
OF 261023Z NOVEMBER 85
CONFIDENTIAL
INFO DESKBY 26113OZ HONG KONG
никош
IVED IN REGISTRY
2 7 NOV 1985
|
PA
PLGISTRY
AjB
Taken
27
DA
319
01/1
FROM WILSON
MIPT: HONG KONG AGREEMENT: SECOND MEETING OF THE JOINT LIAISON
GROUP: FIRST DAY: COMMENT
1. TODAY'S MEETING WAS A HIGHLY CHARGED ONE, A THROW-
BACK TO THE MORE DIFFICULT PHASES OF THE NEGOTIATIONS. KE'S
PERFORMANCE DOUBTLESS CONTAINED SOME HISTRIONICS BUT ALSO WE
THINK MUCH GENUINE FEELING, PARTICULARLY IN HIS SECOND INTERVENTION.
WE HAD THE IMPRESSION THAT HAD INSTRUCTIONS TO DELIVER SOME
HARD BLOWS AND THAT HE WAS CONSCIOUS ALL THE TIME THAT THE RECORD
OF THE MEETING WOULD BE STUDIED AT A VERY SENIOR LEVEL. WE ALSO
SENSED REAL CONCERN AND INDIGNATION AT WHAT THE CHINESE PERCEIVE
THE BRITISH AND HONG KONG GOVERNMENTS TO BE DOING.
2. KE ALMOST ENTIRELY IGNORED MY CAREFULLY WORDED OPENING STATE-
MENT. HE MADE IT CLEAR THAT THE CHINESE BELIEVE THAT WE ARE TRYING
TO IMPOSE A FINAL CONSTITUTIONAL STRUCTURE ON HONG KONG THAT WOULD PREEMPT THE DRAFTING OF THE BASIC LAW AND CONTINUE BEYOND 1997,
AND THAT THEY SEE A VARIETY OF RECENT STATEMENTS BY SENIOR
OFFICIALS IN HONG KONG AS SUBSTANTIATING THIS. HE
DISMISSED ABRUPTLY MY COMMENT THAT SUCH REMARKS WERE NOT STATEMENTS
OF GOVERNMENT POLICY.
1
3. KE DID NOT ATTEMPT TO CLAW BACK ANY OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL
CHANGES ALREADY IN PLACE (ALTHOUGH HIS REFERENCE TO PARA 2(A) OF
THE 1984 WHITE PAPER SHOWS THE DEPTH OF CHINESE CONCERN ABOUT THE
POSSIBILITY OF AN INDEPENDENT' HONG KONG). HOWEVER, HE ATTEMPTED
CONSTANTLY TO ESTABLISH A DISTINCTION BETWEEN THE DAY-TO-DAY
ADMINISTRATION OF HONG KONG, WHICH WAS EXCLUSIVELY HNG'S RESPONSIBILITY, AND CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT,
WHICH WAS NOT. I AS CONSTANTLY REBUTTED THIS. KE DID NOT SUGGEST
THAT THE 1987 REVIEW SHOULD BE POSTPONED. THE CHINESE AIM, HOWEVER,
IS CLEARLY EITHER TO EMASCULATE IT OR TO ENSURE THAT IT CONTAINS NOTHING THAT THEY HAVE NOT AGREED TO IN ADVANCE.
4. THE FACT THAT KE PICKED UP MY CONCEPT OF CONVERGENCE MAY BE A HELPFUL SIGN. AT PRESENT, THE CHINESE SEE THIS IN QUITE A DIFFERENT WAY FROM US, AND THEY ARE NOT GOING TO PREJUDICE THEIR STAND ON THE AUTHORSHIP OF THE BASIC LAW. I DO NOT HOWEVER ENTIRELY DESPAIR OF THE POSSIBILITY THAT THEY MAY BE PREPARED IN PRACTICE TO SHARE THEIR FORWARD THINKING ON POST 1997
CONSITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS.
CONFIDENTIAL
/s.