ZCZC
LNHMAN 1610 OCMIAN 5060
CONFIDENT PAL
TT HOKON
FM FCOLN TO HOKON
111045Z DEC
GRS 343
CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO
TO TELELETTER HONG KONG TELELETTER HKK 011/1
HKK Onli
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
16 DEC 1986
DESK OFFICER
OF 111045Z DECEMBER 86 AND TO TELELETTER PEKING
EX
PA
REGISTRY Action Taken
16
12
PA
539
FROM C E LEEKS, HKD, FCO
TO A L LANG, CLERK OF COUNCILS, HONG KONG COPIED TO D G BLUNT, PEKING
EXCO: BEHIND THE SCENES
1.
THANK YOU AND DAVID BLUNT FOR COPYING TO ME YOUR TELELETTERS OF 2 AND 10 DECEMBER. I SHARE DAVID'S CONCERNS IN PARA 2 OF HIS TL. ON THE OTHER HAND WE PLAINLY MUST NOT UNDERPLAY EXCO'S ROLE IN THE HKG DECISION MAKING PROCESS, WHICH I FEAR DAVID'S REDRAFT MAY (FOR UNDERSTANDABLE TACTICAL REASONS) TEND TO DO. WE NEED TO FIND A MIDDLE COURSE.
2.
I AM INCLINED TO THINK (SUBJECT OF COURSE TO YOUR OWN VIEWS) THAT A TEXT AMENDED ON THE LINES OF PARA 4 OF DAVID'S TL DOES STEER THE RIGHT COURSE, SUBJECT TO THE FOLLOWING THOUGHTS ON DAVID'S AMENDMENTS:
3.
(A) AGREE
(B) I AGREE THAT IT WOULD BE BETTER TO BLUR THE DISTINCTION ABOUT WHO ADVISED WHOM ON STRATEGY AND TACTICS. MIGHT IT NOT BE SIMPLEST TO OMIT IN TOTO THE FOURTH SENTENCE OF YOUR PARA 1? AFTER ALL, IT ESSENTIALLY REPEATS THE POINT IN THE FIRST SENTENCE, AND THE SENSE OF THE PARA DOES NOT SEEM TO SUFFER BY ITS OMISSION?
(C) I THINK QUOTE A NUMBER OF UNQUOTE SLIGHTLY TOO BLAND: HOW ABOUT QUOTE SEVERAL UNQUOTE?
(D) | AGREE: UNLESS YOU PREFER FUTURE WITH A SMALL 'F' (E) NO: THAT EXCO'S ADVICE WAS A FACTOR IS THINK A MATTER OF PUBLIC RECORD (AND IS CERTAINLY A FAIR STATEMENT TO MAKE)
(F) NO: I DON'T THINK WE CAN SIDESTEP THE FACT THAT EXCO (NEXT WORD UNDERLINED) IS CLOSELY INVOLVED IN THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG
PROVIDED THESE SUGGESTIONS ARE ACCEPTABLE TO YOU, WE WOULD BE CONTENT FOR YOU TO PROCEED WITH YOUR DRAFT ON THIS BASIS.
PLEASE LET US KNOW WHEN THE DOCUMENT HAS BEEN PRINTED. ON THE ASSUMPTION THAT THIS IS TO BE AN OMELCO PUBLICATION, WE WILL THEN ASK PEKING TO HAND OVER A COPY OF THE FINAL TEXT IN THE SAME MANNER AS THEY DID ITS LEGCO PREDECESSOR.
SIGNED C E LEEKS
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