ROM: Secretary of State
TO:
The Rt Hon Lord Barber
15 Montpelier Square
London SW7 1JU
Thank you for your letter of 18 December, with its
interesting enclosure.
I was grateful for the account of your meeting with
Li Peng.
I appreciate your readiness to press the Chinese
leadership on the need to address the problem of confidence
which they have triggered in Hong Kong.
This is a message which we have put across many times ourselves: it can only
help to have had it reinforced.
I was interested to hear that you will also be visiting
South Africa in February. There have been a number of encouraging developments there since the Eminent Persons' Group visited in 1986, and more particularly since the accession of Mr de Klerk's government last year. The prospects for an opening of negotiations on South Africa's
constitutional future are better now than for some time.
But there remain considerable obstacles. For our part, we
believe that the negotiating concept put forward by the Eminent Persons' Group remains the most feasible basis on which to get negotiations under way. We are continuing to commend it to all parties in the dispute, including the
South African Government and the ANC. I am sure it would be
useful for Pik Botha to hear the same message from you.
I understand that you will be seeing Sir Robin Renwick
for lunch before your meeting with Pik Botha on 8 February. Sir Robin will be able to bring you fully up to date with developments. We would also be happy to offer you a briefing in the FCO before you leave, if you would find that
useful. You may like to contact the Head of Southern
African Department, Richard Dales (01-270-2551).
DIGAAM/1 PS3AAS