OCMIAN 6280
SECRET
DD 180100Z HOKON
FM FCOLN TO HOKON
171600Z DEC
GRS 429
SECRET
FM FCO
TO DESKBY 180100Z HONG KONG
TELNO 2900
OF 171600Z DECEMBER 86
INFO DESKBY 180100Z PEKING
SECRET
6280 - 1
YOUR TELNO 4172 AND PEKING 2397:
POSSIBLE POSTPONEMENT OF THE 1987 REVIEW
1.
THANK YOU FOR TURS. WE NOTE YOUR JUDGEMENT THAT ANY
SIGNIFICANT DELAY IN THE 1987 REVIEW WOULD BE UNREALISTIC AND
UNACCEPTABLE IN HONG KONG TERMS, AND WOULD HAVE A SERIOUS EFFECT
ON CONFIDENCE.
2. IT IS HELPFUL THAT YOU CAN HOWEVER ENVISAGE SOME POSSIBLE
FLEXIBILITY AT THE END OF THE PRESENT TIMETABLE, WITH THE
PUBLICATION OF THE WHITE PAPER POSSIBLY DELAYED AS FAR AS THE END
OF JANUARY 1988. IT MIGHT OF COURSE BE APPARENT IN HONG KONG
THAT THIS SLIGHT EXTENSION OF A TIMETABLE WHICH HAS ALREADY BEEN
MADE KNOWN WAS NOT UNCONNECTED WITH THE LIKELY PROCEEDINGS IN THE
SIXTH BLDC PLENARY IN DECEMBER 1987. WE TAKE IT THAT YOU BELIEVE
ANY CRITICISM ON THIS SCORE WOULD BE LIMITED TO TOLERABLE
PROPORTIONS.
3. WE ARE NOT HOWEVER ENTIRELY CLEAR WHY YOU FEEL THAT THE
INITIAL PUBLICATION OF THE GREEN PAPER COULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO
SLIP TO AN EQUIVALENT EXTENT, SAY AS FAR AS JUNE 1987. THIS
WOULD HAVE THE CLEAR PRACTICAL ADVANTAGE THAT THE NEW GOVERNOR
1
SECRET