5330 CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO ROUTINE FCO
TELNO 1133
Confidential
RECEIVE!
385/+
OF 200915Z MARCH 87
INFO ROUTINE WASHINGTON, HKGO NEW YORK
OFFICER
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тек 56/3
WASHINGTON TELNO 446. TO YOU: NEW US DRG LEGISLATION.
1. WE ARE GRATEFUL TO WASHINGTON FOR THIS USEFUL COMMENT. WE HAVE
SPOKEN AGAIN TO THE US CONSULATE-GENERAL. WHEN THEY SPOKE TO US BEFORE ABOUT THIS BILL, TO WARN US THAT THE PRESIDENT WOULD NOW BE
REQUIRED TO CERTIFY TO CONGRESS THAT LISTED ''COUNTRIES' WERE
CO-OPERATING IN NARCOTICS CONTROL AND TO WITHHOLD US ASSISTANCE
IF THEY WERE NOT, WE NATURALLY ASSUMED THAT THE LIST WAS PART OF THE
BILL. THE CG HAVE APOLOGIZED FOR MISLEADING US. THEY HAVE ALSO
RECTIFIED THEIR OMISSION OF THE VERY IMPORTANT POINT IN WASHINGTON'S PARA 2.
2. THE USCG SAY THAT THEY WERE THEMSELVES DISMAYED THT HONG KONG
WAS TO BE COVERED BY THIS AMENDMENT, AND ARGUED WITH WASHINGTON TO HAVE US OMITTED ON THE GROUNDS THAT:
(A) WE WERE NOT A 'COUNTRY''
(B) WE DID NOT RECIVED US ASSISTANCE
(C) THE AMENDMENT TALKED SPECIFICALLY ABOUT MAJOR NARCOTICS TRAFFICKING AREAS, WHICH HONG KONG WAS NOT.
3. THE CG THEREFORE ANTICIPATED OUR CONCERN OVER THIS, AND WE MAY WELL HAVE SOME SYMPATHY WITHIN THE STATE DEPARTMENT TOO. IF WE TAKE IT LYING DOWN, THEY MAY SEE NO NEED TO FIGHT OUR CORNER NEXT TIME. AND, AS WE SAID IN OUR TELNO 542, THIS IS A QUITE UNJUSTIFIED TARNISH ON HONG KONG'S IMAGE IN WASHINGTON.
4. WE TAKE WASHINGTON'S POINT THAT WE SHOULD BE CAUTIOUS OVER STIRRING THINGS UP, AND WER ARE INCLINED, SUBJECT TO THEIR FURTHER ADVICE WHEN THEY HAVE STUDIED OUR COMPREHENSIVE BRIEF AND THE SENATE COMMITTEE REPORT FOR 1987 (OF WHICH WE WOULD WELCOME A COPY, NOT TO ASK FOR A MAJOR DEMARCHE. BUTE WE FEEL THAT WE SHOULD REGISTER WITH STATE OUR DISMAY THAT WE ARE INCLUDED IN THE ROGUES' GALLERY (A PROBLEM LEFT OVER FROM HISTORY?) AND GIVE THEM SOME UP
TO DATE BRIEFING ON THE DRUG SCENE HERE.
AKERS-JONES
AN
0425
LIMITED
HRD.
NCAU
местни
SLATER.
SES WILSON
Confidential
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