OCMIAN 6015
CONFIDENTIAL
PP PEKIN
FM FCOLN TO HOKON
161700Z DEC
GRS 250
CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO
TO PRIORITY HONG KONG
TELNO 2885
OF 16170OZ DECEMBER 86
INFO PRIORITY PEKING
CONFIDENTIAL
536).- 011/1
027/4
TOF COLY Q DIST
6015
1
احمد
51
52
See (54
YOUR TELNO 4121: CHINESE VISITS TO HONG KONG
1.
WE UNDERSTAND AND FULLY ACCEPT YOUR WISH TO DEFER TOUCHING BASE WITH THE UNOFFICIALS ON THE QUESTION OF A VISIT TO HONG KONG BY ZHOU NAN UNTIL THE NEW YEAR. LIKE YOU, WE CONTINUE TO FAVOUR AN EARLY VISIT IF THIS CAN SENSIBLY BE ARRANGED, BUT IT WILL BE IMPORTANT TO CARRY EXCO WITH US. WE AGREE (YOUR PARA 4) THAT ON THE TIMING OF AN EVENTUAL VISIT THE KEY FACTORS ARE THE DATE OF THE NEW GOVERNOR'S ARRIVAL AND THE PUBLICATION OF THE GREEN PAPER. AS YOU SAY, ZHOU'S VISIT SHOULD BE CLEARLY SEPARATED FROM BOTH OF THESE EVENTS. THE ISSUING OF AN INVITATION IN PRINCIPLE, WITH DATES TO BE WORKED OUT IN DUE COURSE, MAY SERVE TO MAKE OUR POLITICAL POINT: IT MIGHT ALSO PERMIT LESS SENSITIVE INVITATIONS TO OTHERS TO BE BOTH EXTENDED AND ACCEPTED.
2.
WE WOULD BE INTERESTED TO KNOW THE BASIS FOR YOUR BELIEF THAT ZHOU CAN APPARENTLY EXERCISE A VETO ON VISITS TO HONG KONG BY OTHER CHINESE MINISTERS. WE IMAGINE HE WOULD CERTAINLY BE CONSULTED ABOUT SUCH VISITS, BUT WE HAD NOT FORMED THE IMPRESSION THAT HE IS IN A POSITION TO EXERCISE A VETO AS SUCH.
1
CONFIDENTIAL