RESTRICTED
15 NOV 1990
@
тор сору
pa
Parchisio
Свети
072276
MDHIAN 9351
RESTRICTED
FM PEKING
HKC400/1
TO DESKBY 15020OZ HONG KONG
TELNO 1600
OF 150127Z NOVEMBER 90
INFO IMMEDIATE F CO
Q346
RECI
YOUR TELNO 3346 TO FCO : NCNA'S STATUS.
1. PARA 7 OF TUR NO OBJECTION (YAWN).
COATES
YYYY
ΜΑΙΝ
58
DISTRIBUTION
61
.HONG KONG AGREEMENT
.(RESTRICTED)
LIMITED
HKD
HD/FED
NEWS D
PUSD RAD
PS/LORD CAITHNESS
PS/MR LENNOX-BOYD
MR MCLAREN
MR BURNS
ADDITIONAL
3
MS FOAKES LEGAL ADVISERS
MS BARRETT LEGAL ADVISERS
MR FIFOOT LEGAL ADVISERS
NNNN
1
PAGE RESTRICTED
CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO
TO DESKBY 15010OZ HONG KONG
TELNO 2154
OF 14180OZ NOVEMBER 90
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING
CONFIDENTIAL
HKC400/1
RECE
15 NOV 1990
TOP COPY Q DIST?
て
072043
MDHOAN 1428
p.a
YOUR TELNO 3346: NCNA'S STATUS
1.
WE AGREE THAT THERE SHOULD BE AN AGREED FACTUAL LINE ON NCNA'S STATUS WHICH YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO USE IN RESPONSE TO PRESS QUESTIONS.
2. ALTHOUGH NCNA'S REACTION HAS NOT BEEN HELPFUL, WE SEE LITTLE POINT IN RUSHING TO ISSUE THE STATEMENT, ESPECIALLY BEFORE YANG YOUYONG HAS HAD A CHANCE TO CHECK AGAIN WITH PEKING. THIS WOULD BE BOUND TO PROVOKE THE CHINESE AND MAKE THE TASK OF ACHIEVING AN AGREED LINE ALL THE MORE DIFFICULT. THERE SEEMS TO US NO OPERATIONAL NEED FOR YOU TO SAY ANYTHING ON 15 NOVEMBER: WHILST YOU CANNOT LEAVE THE ATV QUESTION UNANSWERED INDEFINITELY, WE ASSUME THAT A FEW MORE DAYS WOULD MAKE NO REAL DIFFERENCE.
3. WE SHOULD THEREFORE PREFER YOU TO REVERT TO YANG ON
15 NOVEMBER REPEATING YOUR POINTS ON THE NEED FOR AN EARLY STATEMENT AND ASKING FOR A FULLER EXPLANATION OF CHINESE DIFFICULTIES. YOU COULD ALSO EXPLAIN THAT YOU SIMPLY COULD NOT DELAY INDEFINITELY A REPLY TO ATV.
4.
IN ANY CASE, IT SHOULD NOT PROVE TOO DIFFICULT TO ACHIEVE A FORM OF WORDS ACCEPTABLE TO THE CHINESE, DRAWING AS APPROPRIATE ON THE VERSIONS IN PARAS 4 AND 5 OF YOUR TUR. YOU COULD USE THE FIRST SENTENCE OF THE NCNA STATEMENT, FOLLOWED BY A SHORTENED VERSION OF YOUR OWN DRAFT STATEMENT, AS FOLLOWS:
'NCNA IS AN OFFICIAL BODY REPRESENTING THE CENTRAL PEOPLE'S GOVERNMENT IN HONG KONG. THE REPRESENTATIVE AND OFFICIAL NATURE OF ITS WORK IS TAKEN FULLY INTO ACCOUNT BY THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT IN ITS ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE ORGANISATION, ITS PROPERTY AND ITS STAFF.'
HURD
YYYY
PAGE 1 CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
DISTRIBUTION
61
ΜΑΙΝ
58
.HONG KONG AGREEMENT
PUSD
.(RESTRICTED)
RAD
LIMITED
HKD
HD/FED
NEWS D
PS/LORD CAITHNESS
PS/MR LENNOX-BOYD
MR MCLAREN
MR BURNS
072043
MDHOAN 428
ADDITIONAL
3
MS FOAKES LEGAL ADVISERS MS BARRETT LEGAL ADVISERS
MR FIFOOT LEGAL ADVISERS
NNNN
2
PAGE
CONFIDENTIAL