CONFIDENTIAL
2
I emphasised that the London Office had no diplomatic status but that its main role was to reflect Hong Kong opinion to various sectors of the UK community including, inter alia, Parliament, Whitehall and the City.
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Madam Zhang then turned to recent political developments in Hong Kong and the possibility of direct elections. In a circuitous but clearly identifiable manner she made it clear that China did not favour change. She misquoted the Agreement to this effect and had to be corrected. The opportunity was taken to brief her on the background to constitutional changes in Hong Kong and plans for a Green Paper, with emphasis on the need to assess what the people of Hong Kong thought. Madam Zhang was reminded that Hong Kong had a habit of doing its own thing at its own pace and that this was one of the freedoms enjoined by the Agreement among others to which her Government was party. The aim was to evolve a system suited to our needs.
Prospects of improved trade relations with China and the prosperity of Hong Kong received some of Madam Zhang's attention. She reiterated the party line that an identity of economic interest was to be highly desired and that above all a prosperous Hong Kong was the goal of China. The recent CITIC initiative involving CPA was cited as proof of this.
Internal security was touched on in terms of the necessity to ensure the stability of Hong Kong on which economic prosperity so depended. Again the party line was reiterated with Madam Zhang's fervent hope that political change would not be permitted to upset the harmonious state of current Hong Kong/China relations.
Madam Zhang did not appear to be in any hurry to leave and after an hour or so I had to remind her gently that I had other things to do.
She concluded by asking searching questions about the London Offices of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council and the Hong Kong Tourist Association, pleading ignorance of their operations and directors. Our response was to the effect that both the HKTDC and HKTA
if in London were susceptible to open enquiries and that she wished to make similar courtesy calls, she would be received. Again Madam Zhang stressed the informality of her visits, hoping that equally cordial "friendly relations" could be established between her Embassy and all the Hong Kong Agencies in London.
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