CONFIDENTIAL
पील
(186
105505
MDHIAN 7065
CONFIDENTIAL
FM UKREP JLG HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 180
OF 290819Z JUN 90
HKD241
RECE
FRY
-5 JUL 1990
STAY
on Taken
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING, HONG KONG.
187
TOP COPY Q DIST?
HONG KONG TELNO 2013: BILL OF RIGHTS: CHINESE TITLE
1. I AM SORRY TO DISSENT WITH TUR, BUT I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT THAT THE TITLE SHOULD BE CHANGED TO SOMETHING OTHER THAN QUOTE REN QUAN XUAN YÊN UNQUOTE. ALTHOUGH I DOUBT WHETHER THE CHINESE WILL FORMALLY OBJECT TO THE TITLE, I WAS LEFT IN NO DOUBT AFTER LISTENING TO THE CHINESE SIDE TALKING IN OUR PRESENCE DURING OUR TIME IN PEKING THAT THE OVERDONE TITLE, WHICH MEANS QUOTE DECLARATION OF RIGHTS UNQUOTE AND HAS ALL THE CONNOTATIONS OF QUOTE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE UNQUOTE, HAD AN UNFORTUNATE EFFECT ON THE MAINLAND READER. I SUSPECT THAT THIS WILL BE ESPECIALLY SO AT LEADERSHIP LEVEL. IT ALSO REINFORCES THE VIEW THAT WE ARE TRYING TO GIVE THE BILL A STATUS SUPERIOR TO OTHER LAWS.
2. I DO NOT MYSELF THINK THAT QUOTE REN QUAN FA UNQUOTE WOULD BE OBJECTIONABLE FROM A MAINLAND POINT OF VIEW, THOUGH WOULD BE INTERESTED IN PEKING'S COMMENTS. BUT IF IT IS REGARDED AS OBJECTIONABLE IT WOULD SURELY BE BETTER TO GO FOR QUOTE REN QUAN FA AN UNQUOTE EVEN IF IT SOUNDS AS IF IT MEANS QUOTE DRAFT LAW UNQUOTE.
3. THIS MAY SEEM A NIGGLE, BUT BECAUSE THE CHINESE ARE SO CONCERNED WITH APPEARANCES AS OPPOSED TO SUBSTANCE AN APPROPRIATE CHANGE COULD HAVE A DISPROPORTIONATE PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECT.
GALSWORTHY
YYYY
1
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