HKK 040/12
MERV
4 MAR 1985
in
Con S13
(43)
GRS 450
CONFIDENTIAL
DESKBY 27100OZ FCO
CONFIDENTIAL
FM PEKING 270855Z FEB 85
TO IMMED HATE FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 241 OF 27 FEBRUARY.
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG.
MIPT: HONG KONG AGREEMENT: CALL ON ZHOU NAN: RATIFICATION
1. ZHOU SAND THAT THE AGREEMENT PROVIDED FOR THE EXCHANGE OF INSTRUMENTS OF RATIFICATION TO TAKE PLACE BEFORE 30 JUNE IN PEKING. HE REFERRED (CORRECTLY) TO THE HONG KONG BILL'S STATE OF PROGRESS THROUGH PARLIAMENT AND ASKED WHEN THE NECESSARY CONDITIONS FOR RATIFICATION WOULD BE COMPLETE ON THE BRITISH SNDE.
2. ZHOU SAND THAT THE NPC WOULD MEET IN THE SECOND HALF OF MARCH. IT WOULD CONCENTRATE ON DOMESTIC ISSUES. BUT HE ALSO EXPECTED RATIFICATION TO BE DISCUSSED. HE THOUGHT THAT THE NECESSARY PRELIMINARIES WOULD HAVE BEEN COMPLETED ON THE CHINESE SIMDE BY ABOUT THE MIDDLE 10 DAYS OF APRIL.
3. * ASKED ZHOU WHAT PRECISE ACTION THE NPC WOULD TAKE WITH REGARD TO THE AGREEMENT. ZHOU SAND THAT THIS WOULD BE FOR THE NPC TO DECIDE. THE NPC STANDING COMMITTEE HAD ALREADY ENDORSED (**TONGY:#*') THE AGREEMENT AND SENT NT TO THE NPC FOR FULL DISCUSSION. ZHOU DID NOT KNOW WHETHER AN NPC RESOLUTION, AND IF SO UTS SPECIFIC WORDING, WOULD EMERGE. HE DID NOT, HOWEVER, EXPECT PROBLEMS DURING THE NPC'S DISCUSSION OF THE AGREEMENT.
4.
ZHOU SAID THAT TWO FURTHER QUESTIONS NEEDED TO BE RESOLVED:
(A) TIMING OF THE EXCHANGE OF INSTRUMENTS OF RATIFICATION. HE WONDERED IF IT WAS NECESSARY TO WAINT UNTH 30 JUNE.
(B) FORMAL FROCEDURE FOR THE EXCHANGE OF INSTRUMENTS OF RATIFICATION. HE ASKED ABOUT OUR IDEAS. WAS THERE A NEED FOR A BRIEF CEREMONY ?
5.
# TOLD ZHOU I HAD NOTED HIS COMMENTS. THEN SPOKE AS AUTHORISED IN PARAGRAPH 2 OF YOUR TELNO 310 TO HONG KONG.
IN POINTED OUT THAT WE THUS HOPED TO RATIFY BEFORE ZHAO'S VISIT TO THE UNITED KINGDOM. ON MODALITIES FOR THE EXCHANGE OF **NSTRUMENTS OF RATIFICATION, I SAID THAT HOPED TO BE IN A POSITION TO MAKE SOME SUGGESTIONS BEFORE LONG.
CONFIDENTIAL
16.