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17.
A FULL RANGE OF CHANNELS WILL HAVE TO BE USED. THE
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE SECRETARY OF STATE AND WU XUEQIAN WILL
CONTINUE TO BE OF PARTICULAR IMPORTANCE. THE CONTACTS
ESTABLISHED BETWEEN SIR E YOUDE AND CHINESE POLICY-MAKERS CANNOT
EASILY BE TAKEN OVER BY THE ACTING GOVERNOR AND CANNOT QUICKLY BE
TAKEN UP BY A NEW GOVERNOR. MORE OF THE TASKS WILL NOW HAVE TO
BE ASSUMED BY MR RENTON AND SIR R EVANS, EVEN THOUGH IT IS A
DISADVANTAGE THAT THE NATURAL INTERLOCUTOR OF EACH IS ZHOU NAN.
THE NEW GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG WILL PROBABLY BE IN PLAY WITH THE
CHINESE FROM THE SECOND HALF OF 1987, HAVING FIRST FIRMLY
ESTABLISHED HIS LOCAL CREDENTIALS IN HONG KONG.
18.
TAKING INTO ACCOUNT WHAT WE KNOW AT THIS STAGE ABOUT
MINISTERIAL MOVEMENTS, THE FOLLOWING IS A POSSIBLE CHRONOLOGY OF
CONTACTS WITH THE CHINESE OVER THE 1987 REVIEW:
JANUARY 1987 MESSAGE FROM SECRETARY OF STATE TO WU.
EXPRESSES HOPE OF CLOSE DIALOGUE OVER
CONVERGENCE
REAFFIRMS OUR OPEN MIND ON REVIEW AND DIRECT
ELECTIONS.
?JAN-MARCH
1987
MARCH 1987
APRIL 1987
LATE MAY 1987
?AUTUMN 1987
?AUTUMN 1987
POSSIBLE VISIT TO HONG KONG BY ZHOU NAN
- OPPORTUNITY TO EXPLAIN TO HIM STATE AND WORKINGS
OF HONG KONG OPINION
MEETING BETWEEN SECRETARY OF STATE AND WU ON
LATTER'S VISIT TO EUROPE.
->
PRESENTS MAIN THEMES OF GREEN PAPER
MR RENTON TO VISIT PEKING (AND HONG KONG)
GOES OVER CONTENT OF GREEN PAPER IN
DETAIL.
SECRETARY OF STATE'S STOP-OVER IN PEKING.
REINFORCES MESSAGE ON GREEN PAPER, TACKLES ANY
OUSTANDING DIFFICULTIES.
VISIT TO PEKING BY NEW GOVERNOR
- DESCRIBES EVOLVING STATE OF HONG KONG OPINION.
VISIT TO BRITAIN BY WU XUEQIAN
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