GRS 500
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 3502
OF 231005Z OCTOBER 86
INFO PRIORITY PEKING
011/1
417
See
421
CONFIDENTIAL
HKK
RECEIVE.
31 OCT 1986
DESK OFFICER INDEX
REUISTRY
PA
ion Taken
PERSONAL FOR HUM, HKD, FROM GOVERNOR
PEKING PERSONAL FOR AMBASSADOR
INFORMAL EXCHANGES OF VIEWS WITH CHINESE
1. THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S DISCUSSIONS WITH CHINESE LEADERS
DURING THE STATE VISIT TO CHINA HAVE DEMONSTRATED THEIR WILLINGNESS,
AND INDEED EAGERNESS, TO CONTINUE THE INFORMAL DIALOGUE ON ISSUES RELATED TO THE DRAFTING OF THE BASIC LAW THAT STARTED WITH THE
SECRETARY OF STATE'S MEETING WITH WU XUEQIAN IN BRUSSELS IN MAY. I AGREE WITH THE SUGGESTION IN PARA 4 OF PEKING TELNO 1959 THAT
IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO ENSURE THAT THERE IS ALWAYS AT LEAST ONE OTHER OPPORTUNITY TO EXCHANGE VIEWS ON THE HORIZON.
2.
THE MOST IMPORTANT ELEMENT IN THIS EXERCISE IS OF COURSE THE
CHANNEL BETWEEN THE SECRETARY OF STATE AND WU. I HAVE SUGGESTED SEPARATELY THAT IT MAY BE NECESSARY FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE TO
VISIT PEKING IN THE SUMMER OR AUTUMN OF 1987 TO RECONCILE ANY DIFFICULTIES ARISING OUT OF THE 1987 REVIEW AND/OR THE PARALLEL
BASIC LAW DRAFTING EXERCISE. IT WOULD, HOWEVER, BE WORTHWHILE TO LOOK CAREFULLY AT THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S TRAVEL PLANS AND WU'S
KNOWN MOVEMENTS IN THE FIRST HALF OF 1987 TO SEE IF THERE IS ANY
POSSIBILITY OF AN EARLIER INFORMAL MEETING BEING ARRANGED ON THE LINES OF THAT IN BRUSSELS IN MAY.
}
3. AS YOU KNOW, I SHALL BE VISITING PEKING AGAIN IN THE FIRST WEEK OF DECEMBER, 1.E. THREE MONTHS AFTER MY PREVIOUS VISIT. IM THE LIGHT OF THE USEFUL DISCUSSIONS THAT TOOK PLACE ON THAT OCCASION, AND THE GENERALLY POSITIVE REACTION IN HONG KONG TO MY VISIT, HAVE BEEN CONSIDERING WHETHER I SHOULD PAY MORE FREQUENT VISITS TO PEKING IN THE SAME WAY AS I VISIT LONDON REGULARLY. NOW THAT IT IS CLEAR THAT THE CHINESE ARE PREPARED TO TALK TO ME I SEE CONSIDERABLE MERIT IN MAINTAINING A CHANNEL OF COMMUNICATION WITH THEM THROUGH WHICH A NUMBER OF SENSITIVE ISSUES CAN BE INFORMALLY
DISCUSSED.
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