CONFIDENTIAL
British Embassy
REE NI$14
Nator Sand
ли
Ente ops.
Com
72 outerme.
Uum. EUG
3100 Massachusetts Avenue NW Washington DC 20008
Telex Domestic USA 89-2370/89-2384
Telex International 64224(WUI)/440015(ITT) Teleletter his
Telephone (202) 462-1340
A M Layden Esq
HKD
FCO
issne.
N
Your reference
Our reference
19/4 HKB Oull
x) third li lette
$) M-streak t
Dr. Wall Love on U Gast!
Date 15 April 1988
Cr 18%
Year Authony.
HONG KONG : REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT
I thought it was time to let you have a note on the reactions here to the publication of the White Paper in Hong Kong. We have also recently been treated to a visit from Mr Martin Lee.
1.
2. We made a point of distributing copies of the Hong Kong Government's White Paper fairly widely on the Hill and in the Administration, together with copies of the Secretary of State's statement to the House. In fact, there has been very little interest here (indeed I have been struck during my two years here by the lack of interest in political developments affecting Hong Kong). Our Administration contacts have tended to take the line that this is a problem for the UK to manage: that they will continue to take a sympathetic interest in how we get on: but will try to keep out of the substance.
3. The representative government issue has also make surprisingly little impression on the Hill. The only Congressman active on the subject as far as I know is John Porter (Republican: Illinois). One of his staffers made contact with me and we had a long session, at which I gave him all the relevant pieces of paper. This seems to have been water off a duck's back, because he later sent me the enclosed copy of a round-robin letter from Porter to colleauges inviting their signatures on a draft letter to the Prime Minister. We understand from Porter's office that six weeks later this letter has only attracted 10 signatures (peanuts by House of Representatives standards). They said that the letter would be issuing shortly: I imagine that it will be turning up in your in-tray before long!
Porter made a short statement on the floor of the House on 24 March: copy also enclosed. Beyond that, we have detected very little interest on the Hill: and certainly no bandwagon of critical comment.
4.
/5.
CONFIDENTIAL