SECRET
10 05
MDHIAN 5298
B) PERHAPS THE HONG KONG GOVERNOR IN 1995 COULD BE THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE UNDER CHINESE SOVEREIGNTY AFTER 1997. AN APPOINTMENT JOINTLY AND MUTUALLY MADE BY THE TWO GOVERNMENTS MIGHT MAKE IT POSSIBLE FOR THE SAME PERSON TO REPRESENT THE BRITISH CROWN BEFORE 1997 AND THE CHINESE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC FOR TWO YEARS AFTER 1997. HE SAW THIS AS A MOVE THAT WOULD GIVE CONFIDENCE TO BOTH SIDES AND TO THE HONG KONG PUBLIC.
C) THE UK MIGHT DEMONSTRATE THAT IT HAD NO INTENTION OF CREATING A SITUATION WHERE KEY PEOPLE HOLDING BRITISH PASSPORTS (WITH A RISK OF DUAL ALLEGIANCE) LEFT HONG KONG AT AN EMBARRASSING MOMENT. HE SPOKE ABOUT APPOINTING ''DEPUTIES'' WHO COULD BE TRAINED UP AND THAT THESE SHOULD BE PEOPLE WHO WOULD ENJOY THE CONFIDENCE OF BOTH GOVERNMENTS. (I FOUND THIS PART A LITTLE DIFFICULT TO FOLLOW).
4. VICE PREMIER WU TOOK THESE VIEWS IN GOOD PART BECAUSE THEY WERE ''WELL INTENTIONED AND OFFERED IN A SPIRIT OF COLLABORATION''. HE THEN SET OUT THE CHINESE POSITION.
5. IT WAS THE CHINESE HOPE THAT BRITAIN AND THOSE WHO CARED ABOUT RELATIONS WITH CHINA SHOULD RETURN TO THE STATE OF AFFAIRS BEFORE 4 JUNE, AND GET. THINGS IN PERSPECTIVE. THE QUELLING OF THE REBELLION WAS PURELY AN INTERNAL MATTER FOR THE CHINESE. MANY WESTERN COUNTRIES HAD REACTED STRONGLY, INCLUDING THE UK. BUT THAT HAD BEEN OVER SIX MONTHS AGO, AND STILL THIS EVENT SEEMED TO BE INFLUENCING BRITAIN IN THEIR ATTITUDE OVER HONG KONG. THAT WOULD IN NO WAY HELP. IF THIS WAS THE WAY' THINGS WERE TO BE DONE, DIFFICULTIES WOULD ARISE. THE CHINESE HAD ADOPTED A CONSISTENT ATTITUDE. BOTH GOVERNMENTS SHOULD STRICTLY ABIDE BY THE PRINCIPLES OF THE JOINT DECLARATION SIGNED BY THE HEADS OF GOVERNMENT. THE HONG KONG ISSUE SHOULD BE HANDLED ACCORDING TO THE PRINCIPLES AND SPIRIT OF THAT JOINT DECLARATION. IF THE ELEMENT OF THE EVENTS OF 4 JUNE STILL PLAYED A ROLE IN UK THINKING AND IN THE PROCESS OF HANDLING CURRENT ISSUES, THEN NEITHER SIDE WOULD BE ABLE TO FIND A CALM AND SOBER-MINDED WAY OF HANDLING THE PROBLEMS OF TRANSITION
PAGE 2 SECRET
#
'
THIS IS A COPY THE ORIGINAL HAS BEEN CLOSED UNDER
FOI EXEMPTION NO. 27(1)
A Co - Še engangsvakt peratu
Page 15Page 16