CONFIDENTIAL
FM PEKING
TO DESKBY 06090OZ FCO
TELNO 1928
OF 060901Z NOVEMBER 1987
AND TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
CONFIDENTIAL
RECEN
end 383/1
- € NOV 1937
"FICER
PA
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1:11464 MDHIAN 4459
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YOUR TELNOS 2947-2949° TO HONG KONG: LETTER FROM THE EARL OF WINCHILSEA: STATUS OF PRISONERS AFTER 1997.
1. THIRD TUR: WE FULLY UNDERSTAND THE REASONS FOR WANTING TO GIVE LORD WINCHILSEA AS COMPLETE AND FACTUAL A REPLY AS POSSIBLE. BUT HAVE RESERVATIONS ABOUT WISDOM OF QUOTING VERBATIM FROM THE CURRENT DRAFT OF THE BASIC LAW IN A REPLY WHICH LORD WINCHILSEA COULD CHOOSE TO MAKE PUBLIC OR QUOTE FROM IN DEBATE. IF THIS WERE TO HAPPEN THE CHINESE MIGHT DECIDE TO BE LESS FRANK WITH US IN FUTURE DISCUSSING BASIC LAW-RELATED ISSUES, FOR EXAMPLE DURING VISITS TO PEKING BY THE GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG.
IN FUTURE
2. WE IMAGINE THE SAME THOUGHT WILL HAVE OCCURED TO YOU AND WONDER HOW YOU ASSESS THIS RISK.
EVANS
YYYY
ΜΑΙΝ
23
DISTRIBUTION
24
HONG KONG AGREEMENT RESTRICTED
LIMITED
HKD
HD/FED
RESEARCH (FE)
DEP HD/PUSD
PS/LORD GLENARTHUR
PS/MR EGGAR
MR MCLAREN
MR GILLMORE
ADDITIONAL
1
MR FIFOOT, LEGAL ADVISERS
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CONFIDENTIAL