CONFIDENTIAL
la
72
070415
MDHIAN 6337
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 1978
OF 251126Z JUNE 90
HKC 182 12 18212
SECEIVED IN
17 JUL 1990
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG, BTC HONG KONG
026/18 (16)
1186
026/16 VY
YOUR TELEGRAM NO. 1180 AND PEKING TELEGRAM NO. 916: MR. MAUDE'S VISIT: PADS.
1. WE WOULD BE HAPPY TO PREPARE A SHORT BRIEF OF NO MORE THAN THREE PAGES WHICH MR. MAUDE COULD USE DURING HIS VISIT. WE WILL LET YOU HAVE THIS SOON.
2. I SEE NO OBJECTION TO GIVING A COPY TO JI CHAOZHU BEFORE MR. MAUDE LEAVES. BUT I AM LESS SURE OF THE IDEA OF A LETTER TO VICE FOREIGN MINISTER TIAN ZENGPEI. A LETTER ON THIS SUBJECT ALONE COULD GIVE THE IMPRESSION THAT WE ARE BECOMING EXCESSIVELY NERVOUS ABOUT OUR OWN PLANS AND ARE DESPERATE FOR CHINESE SUPPORT. THIS IN TURN WILL LEAD THEM TO THINK THAT THEY CAN EXERT A GREAT DEAL OF LEVERAGE OVER US.
3. IT IS OBVIOUSLY IMPORTANT THAT THE PLANS ARE PRESENTED DURING MR. MAUDE'S VISIT AS THOSE OF THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT. THE CHINESE, AS YOU KNOW, ARE SUSPICIOUS THAT ONE OF THE MOTIVES BEHIND THE PLANS IS TO PROVIDE LUCRATIVE WORK TO BRITISH FIRMS, PAID FOR OUT OF HKG FUNDS, BEFORE BRITISH ADMINISTRATION ENDS IN 1997. I THEREFORE AGREE WITH PEKING THAT DISCUSSIONS ON PADS SHOULD BE HANDLED WITH A LIGHT TOUCH. THE PLANS SHOULD BE PRESENTED AS THE HKG BUILDING FOR THE SAR'S FUTURE. CHINA CAN SHOW THAT IT IS COMMITTED TO A STRONG SAR BY SUPPORTING THEM. CONVERSELY LACK OF SUPPORT WILL INDUCE DOUBTS IN HK AND THE MINDS OF INTERNATIONAL BUSINESSMEN WHICH WILL NOT BE IN THE LONG TERM INTEREST OF THE SAR ITSELF.
4. ON THE QUESTION OF DIRECT CHINESE INVOLVEMENT IN PADS, I AGREE WITH PEKING THAT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS A STATEMENT, OR OTHER INDICATIONS, OF SUPPORT. INDIVIDUAL CHINESE COMPANIES WILL THEMSELVES WISH TO PARTICIPATE IN THE VARIOUS PROJECTS IN DUE COURSE. WE ARE SEEING SOME EVIDENCE OF INTEREST ALREADY IN RELATION TO PORT TERMINAL 8 AND THE WEST KOWLOON RECLAMATION. THERE HAS ALSO BEEN A VISIT BY A TEAM FROM PEKING IN CONNECTION WITH AIRPORT DESIGN. BUT PRESSING DURING MR. MAUDE'S VISIT FOR A CHINESE
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