RESTRICTED
021/4
23
UNITED KINGDOM DELEGATION TO THE ORGANISATION FOR ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION
HKB 020/6
AND DEVELOPMENT
19, rue de Franqueville, 75116 PARIS
Telephone: 45 24 98 28 Direct Line: 45 24 98
R D Clift Esq., Political Adviser Govt Secretariat HONG KONG
Jens Pink,
CHINA AND THE WORLD IN THE NINETIES
7 February 1989
+PA
Ry1/
Miss Marsden Mrfostaća N1412 Mr Wood Wit
W1972
1 Thank you for your letter PA CR 11/1476/87 of 26 January. I see, with confusion, that I did not copy to you my minute of 10 January (plus enclosure) with an update on the Martin Lees conferences. I Now hasten to correct this.
2. I spoke to Lees about all this on the phone today. He said that the whole matter had been "on hold" until the dates for Gorbachev's visit had been fixed. With those settled, his Chinese contacts could now think about lesser matters and he would be in Peking from about 28 February. (I warned him that Alan Donald would be away but encouraged him to call on the Embassy nevertheless.)
3.
In answer to my question about participation from Hong Kong, he pointed out that he had indeed already proposed this to the Chinese for both the meetings, and was awaiting their answer. But he also said that, since the total overseas participation at the meetings would be limited to 12, (I had not previously realised how tight he was keeping numbers) Hong Kong could not really expect more than one participant.
He was
a little unhappy about the prospect of a Hong Kong Government representative who he thought might constrain discussion. But I gave him your name and telephone number and you may hear from him.
/4.