CONFIDENTIAL
4.
When visits by senior Chinese were first considered late last year, we
we foresaw the risk of them being viewed publicly as the "new owners inspecting the premises". We concluded however
however that this was a risk worth taking
in order to
expose Chinese leaders who deal with Hong Kong affairs to the realities of Hong Kong. There is one specific advantage of a visit by Ji at this time, in addition to the general one of exposure. This is that it will give the Governor an opportunity to allay, at a high level, Chinese anxieties on the development of representative government. Indeed a talk with Ji might initiate the informal dialogue which we want to hold
with the Chinese on possible post-1997 structures of
government. This dialogue might then be carried
on in Hong Kong with Xu Jiatun. In this way the subject might be removed from the Joint Liaison Group where the glare of publicity and the sensitivities of the two sides make it an inappropriate topic for debate. We have put this idea to the Governor, who will discuss it with Dr Wilson and Mr Galsworthy who will be passing through Hong Kong this week on their way to the JLG meeting in Peking.
20 November 1985
Vonathan Powell
for
WG Ehrman
Hong Kong Department
011/1 AKK 024/16
EIVED IN VENONARY
INDE
26 NOV 1985
| AGB 26/11
CONFIDENTIAL