CONFIDENTIAL
020560
MOLIAN 3719
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 836
OF 091215Z MARCH 89
INFO PRIORITY PEKING
INFO ROUTINE WASHINGTON, UKREP EC BRUSSELS, UKMIS NEW YORK
PEKING TELNO 367: CHINA AND HUMAN RIGHTS
1. FROM THE HONG KONG ANGLE I SUPPORT THE VIEWS OF PEKING IN PARAS. 5 AND 6 OF TUR. A MEASURED STRENGTHENING OF OUR LINE ON HUMAN RIGHTS IN CHINA COULD HELP TO DEFUSE CRITICISM OF BRITISH QUOTE DOUBLE STANDARDS UNQUOTE WHICH HAS BEEN USED TO SUPPORT THE CASE THAT HMG IS SOFT ON CHINA, IN THE HONG KONG CONTEXT AS WELL AS IN GENERAL TERMS. PROVIDED THAT THE TACTICS SUGGESTED BY PEKING ARE CAREFULLY FOLLOWED, SUCH A LINE SHOULD NOT (NOT) LEAD TO A DETERIORATION IN RELATIONS AFFECTING OUR CO-OPERATION OVER HONG KONG.
2.
ANY SHIFT WOULD NEVERTHELESS HAVE TO BE CONDUCTED WITH CARE. WE MUST OBVIOUSLY AVOID ANY SUSPICION BY THE CHINESE THAT WE ARE SUPPORTING MOVES TOWARDS QUOTE INDEPENDENCE UNQUOTE IN TIBET AND THEREFORE BY EXTENSION IN HONG KONG. THIS WOULD BE A PARTICULARLY
NEURALGIC POINT.
WILSON
YYYY
MAIN
.HUMAN RIGHTS
LIMITED
FED
UND
ECD (E)
NAD
APD
WED
HKD
93
DISTRIBUTION
94
PAGE
PS
PS/MR EGGAR
PS/MR WALDEGRAVE
PS/PUS
PS/SIR J FRETWELL
MR GILLMORE
MR BOYD
MR BAYNE
MR FEARN
1
CONFIDENTIAL