GRS 180
CONFIDENTIAL
DD 20120OZ BOTH
CONFIDENTIAL
FROM PEKING 2011POOZ MAY 85
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 768 OF 20/5/85
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
112
MY TEL NO 7667
HONG KONG AGREEMENT:
ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE DATE OF RATIFICATION
TOP COPY
HKK 040/12.
REC.
1. ASIA TV TELPHONED US THIS AFTERNOON. THEY SAID
THAT THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT HAD TOLD THEM THAT
2 2 MAY 1985
p=3/5 ati
THE EXCHANGE OF INSTRUMENTS OF RATIFICATION WOULD TAKE PLACE
ON 27 MAY. THEY ASKED IF WE COULD CONFIRM THIS. WE REFUSED
TO BE DRAWN BEYOND SAYING THAT AN ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT THE
DATE OF RATIFICATION WOULD BE MADE IN DUE COURSE. WE REFUSED TO SAY WHETHER SUCH AN ANNOUNCEMENT COULD BE EXPECTED.
2. BLUNT TOOK UP ATVS APPROACH WITH LI CHUANSHENG
AT THE END OF HIS MEETING WITH ZHENG WEIRONG LATE THIS AFTERNOON. LI SAID HE WAS UNSIGHTED. ZHENG SAID THAT DURING A MEETING EARLIER IN THE AFTERNOON WITH KE ZAISHUO, INFORMATION DEPARTMENT HAD REPORTED TO KE
THAT ATV HAD ASKED FOR CONFIRMATION THAT THE
DATE OF RATIFICATION WAS 27 MAY. AT V HAD SAID THAT THE EMBASSY HAD TOLD THEM THE DATE. INFORMATION DEPARTMENT HAD REFUSED
TO BE DRAWN. BLUNT SAID THAT THE EMBASSY HAD NOT DIVULGED
THE RATIFICATION DATE. HE COMMENTED THAT IT WAS POSSIBLE
THAT ATV WERE SEEKING TO PLAY OFF THEIR OWN GUESS ABOUT WHEN RATIFICATION MIGHT TAKE PLACE AGAINST THE TWO SIDES. ZHANG CONCURREDM.
EVANS
MINIMAL
HKD
FED
COPIES TO:
MR FIFOOT, LEGAL ADVISERS
NTD
CONFIDENTIAL
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