CONFIDENTIAL
60
024314 MDHIAN 9513
13
CONFIDENTIAL
FM PEKING
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 342
OF 050444Z MARCH 90
HKC340
INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG, UKREA J BECETONG KONGISTRY
- 5 MAR 1990
DESK OFFICER
TOP
TOP COPY DIST ?
RECISTRY
YOUR TELNO 494 TO HONG KONG AND HONG KONG TELNO T81
CHINESE STATEMENT ON NATIONALITY PACKAGE.
1.
·
WE WOULD MUCH PREFER TO AVOID ANOTHER ROUND OF PUBLIC EXCHANGES WITH THE CHINESE AT A TIME WHEN WE ARE NOT CERTAIN OF CHINA'S CONSIDERED ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE NATIONALITY PACKAGE.
2. WE SUGGEST THE MOST WE SHOULD DO IS TO DEPLOY THE LINE GIVEN IN PARA 4 OF PEKING TELNO 328, BUT STOPPING SHORT OF VOLUNTEERING THAT WE CONSIDER THE LATEST CHINESE STATEMENT TO BE UNHELPFUL. WE WOULD PREFER THE LINE TO BE DEPLOYED ONLY IF WE WERE ASKED FOR COMMENT. IF HOWEVER HONG KONG JUDGE THAT, FOR LOCAL REASONS, THE CHINESE STATEMENT CANNOT GO UNANSWERED, WE WOULD NOT WISH TO STAND IN THEIR WAY IN VOLUNTEERING SUCH A STATEMENT.
3. WE HAVE NO DIFFICULTY IN PRINCIPLE WITH THE PROPOSAL IN PARA 3 OF HONG KONG TELNO 798 TO GIVE MORE IN-DEPTH BACKGROUND BRIEFINGS TO SELECTED JOURNALISTS IN HONG KONG AND LONDON. BUT WE WOULD SEE THE PURPOSE OF SUCH BRIEFINGS AS BEING TO DOWN-PLAY THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE CHINESE STATEMENT. IF THEY MERELY SERVED TO INSPIRE FURTHER PRESS COVERAGE WHICH ANTAGONISED THE CHINESE, THIS WOULD DEFEAT OUR OBJECTIVE OF PERSUADING THE CHINESE TO DESIST FROM MAKING FURTHER UNHELPFUL PUBLIC STATEMENTS ABOUT THE PACKAGE AND QUEER THE PITCH FOR ANY SERIOUS DISCUSSION THEREAFTER.
4. I CONTINUE TO THINK (PARA 1 OF PEKING TELNO 23 TO HONG KONG) THAT OUR FORMAL APPROACH TO THE CHINESE SHOULD BE MADE NOT MUCH MORE THAN A FULL WORKING WEEK BEFORE DETAILS OF THE PACKAGE ARE ANNOUNCED PUBLICLY. TO APPROACH THEM IN MID-MARCH, AS SUGGESTED IN HONG KONG TELNO 798, RUNS THE RISK OF GIVING THEM EVEN LONGER TIME IN WHICH TO FORMULATE AND MAKE FURTHER DAMAGING STATEMENTS IN PUBLIC WITH A VIEW INTER ALIA TO INFLUENCING MPS AGAINST
THE PACKAGE.
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