OCMIAN 4849
CONFIDENTIAL
00 PEKIN
FM FCOLN TO PEKIN
061630Z MAY
GRS 236
CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO
TO IMMEDIATE PEKING
TELNO 399
OF 061630Z MAY 86
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
YOUR TELNOS 708 AND 722:
WU XUEQIAN
CONFIDENTIAL
34849
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HKR©t{
RECES
5.MY
12 MAY 1986
SECRETARY OF STATE'S MEETING WITH
1.
WE TAKE YOUR POINT THAT IT MIGHT NOW BE WISE TO TRAIL A
LITTLE MORE EXPLICITY THE SUBJECT MATTER WHICH WE HAVE IN MIND
FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S DISCUSSION WITH WU. WE HOPE HE WILL
BE READY TO RESPOND POSITIVELY TO OUR PROPOSAL FOR A CLOSER
DIALOGUE ON THE STRUCTURE OF GOVERNMENT EVEN IF HE DOES NOT ENTER
INTO ANY DETAIL.
2.
SUBJECT TO THE VIEWS OF THE GOVERNOR, THEREFORE, WE AGREE
THAT YOU SHOULD SPEAK TO THE MFA ON THE GENERAL LINES WHICH YOU
PROPOSE. THIS MIGHT HOWEVER BEST BE DONE WITHOUT OVER-EMPHASIS
AND PERHAPS IN THE COURSE OF OTHER BUSINESS RATHER THAN
BY SEEKING A SPECIAL MEETING WITH ZHOU NAN.
YOU MIGHT SIMPLY SAY THAT THE SECRETARY OF STATE WOULD
LIKE, IN THE CONTEXT OF CONSIDERING WITH WU AREAS FOR FUTURE
COOPORATION TO DISCUSS WITH HIM THE NEED FOR CONVERGENCE BETWEEN
THE STRUCTURE OF GOVERNMENT IN HONG KONG BEFORE 1997 AND THE
STRUCTURE OF GOVERNMENT OF THE SAR, AS IT WILL BE STIPULATED IN
THE BASIC LAW. WE THINK IT WOULD BE BETTER NOT/NOT TO REFER AT
THIS STAGE TO THE BASIC LAW DRAFTING COMMITTEE, LEST THE CHINESE
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