OCMIAN 2662
G14
CONFIDENTIAL
2662 1
•
CONFIDENTIAL
DD 180100Z PEKIN
FM FCOLN TO PEKIN
171600Z DEC
GRS 285
CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO
TO DESKBY 180100Z PEKING
TELNO 1078
OF 171600Z DECEMBER 85
INFO DESKBY 180100Z HONG KONG
HRR 011/1
19 DEC 1985
AjB QO
YOUR TELS NOS 1850-1851: LUNCH WITH ZHOU NAN: YOUR SPEECH
1.
WE TOO WERE SURPRISED AT THE PUBLIC NATURE OF THIS EVENT,
AND AT THE SHORT NOTICE THE CHINESE HAVE GIVEN US OF IT. WE
THINK YOU WOULD BE JUSTIFIED IN EXPRESSING SOME SURPRISE AT THIS
SHORT NOTICE. HOWEVER WE SEE NO POINT IN RESISTING IT.
2.
YOU SHOULD URGE THE CHINESE TO LET YOU KNOW IN ADVANCE
WHAT ZHOU IS GOING TO SAY. YOU SHOULD SAY THAT IN VIEW OF THE
NERVOUS REACTIONS IN HONG KONG TO OUR RECENT EXCHANGES ON THE SUBJECT OF POLITICAL REFORM, IT WILL BE VERY IMPORTANT THAT THE
SPEECHES SHOULD BE REASSURING IN TONE.
3.
WE THINK THE DRAFT OF YOUR SPEECH IS BROADLY RIGHT. MIFT
PROPOSES SOME CHANGES, WHICH ARE DESIGNED TO EMPHASISE THE NEED FOR CONTINUED EFFORTS WHILE NOT BEING PROVOCATIVE.
4.
SINCE ZHOU HAS SAID THAT HE WILL ALSO CONCENTRATE ON
BILATERAL RELATIONS YOU MAY ALSO WISH TO SAY SOMETHING A LITTLE
BIT MORE ABOUT THIS IN PARA 6. IN ORDER TO AVOID AROUSING HONG
KONG SENSITIVITIES IT WOULD BE BEST TO AVOID REFERENCES TO
INCREASING ECONOMIC TIES IN THIS CONTEXT: BUT IT MIGHT BE USEFUL
TO NOTE THAT THE SIGNATURE OF THE AGREEMENT BROUGHT THE PRIME
MINISTER TO CHINA AND THAT WE HAVE SINCE WELCOMED ZHAO AND WU IN
LONDON.
1
CONFIDENTIAL
5.