CONFIDENTIAL
638
115523
MDHOAN 1326
CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO
TO
IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
TELNO 1993
OF 28113OZ JULY 88
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING
INFO PRIORITY UKREP JLG HONG KONG
602
631
HKB 011/2
TOP COPY O DIST?
INI
STRY
29 JUL 1988
FICER
PA
ewalt
YOUR TELNO 2818 AND PEKING TELNO 1290: BASIC LAW: LEGAL EXPERTS' MEETING
1.
FIFOOT IS GENERALLY CONTENT WITH THE OUTLINE PROGRAMME IN FIRST TUR. HE WOULD, HOWEVER, APPRECIATE AN OPPORTUNITY TO CALL ON UKREP JLG
2.
-
(SECOND TUR). WE ARE GRATEFUL TO PEKING FOR THEIR EFFORTS TO WINKLE OUT CONFIRMATION FROM THE CHINESE THAT THE MEETING CAN GO AHEAD, AND WE WELCOME THE NEWS.
3.
ON THE BASIS OF THE PRESS REPORTS WE HAVE SEEN HERE SO FAR, WE DO NOT RECALL ANY THAT INDICATED THAT FIFOOT WOULD GO ON TO PEKING TO DISCUSS THE BASIC LAW. IT WOULD HOWEVER NOT BE SURPRISING IF SPECULATION THAT HE WOULD VISIT PEKING WERE TO EMERGE, IF IT HAS NOT IN FACT ALREADY DONE SO. WE READILY ACKNOWLEDGE THE NEED TO HANDLE FIFOOT'S VISIT WITH GREAT SENSITIVITY AND LOOK FORWARD TO THE OUTCOME OF PEKING'S DISCUSSIONS OVER THE PRESS LINE. IT IS UNFORTUNATE THAT THE LAW SOCIETY/BAR ASSOCIATION DELEGATION HAVE MADE SO MUCH OUT OF THE VISIT. PEKING MIGHT LIKE TO REASSURE THE MFA THAT IN HIS DISCUSSIONS WITH THEM HERE, FIFOOT MADE NO MENTION OF HIS FORTHCOMING VISIT TO PEKING BUT REFERRED TO HIS VISIT TO HONG KONG AS A CONTINUATION OF REGULAR VISITS HE HAS BEEN MAKING TO HONG KONG AS ADVISER ON HONG KONG LEGAL MATTERS.
HOWE
YYYY
MAIN
48
.HONG KONG AGREEMENT
.(RESTRICTED)
LIMITED
DISTRIBUTION
49
PUSD
PS/LORD GLENARTHUR
PS/MR EGGAR
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