CONFIDENTIAL
FM WASHINGTON'
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 164
OF 23002OZ JANUARY 90
INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG
CONFIDENTIAL
HICO 34011
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
24FEB 1990
PA
REGISTRY Action Taken
DESK OFFICER INDEX
32
042074
MDHIAN 3464
به دوم
•
YOUR TELNO 87: HONG KONG: INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT
1.
PARA 4 OF TUR REQUESTED OUR VIEWS ON SOLARZ'S SUGGESTION THAT AN FCO OFFICIAL TESTIFY BEFORE THE CONGRESSIONAL SUBCOMMITTEE DEALING WITH THE QUESTION OF RIGHTS OF ABODE IN HONG KONG. 2. OUR LONGSTANDING PRACTICE HAS BEEN TO DECLINE TO APPEAR BEFORE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES ON THE GROUNDS THAT TO DO SO WOULD CREATE A PRECEDENT WHICH MIGHT CAUSE DIFFICULTIES IF WE WERE ASKED TO APPEAR BEFORE COMMITTEES INVESTIGATING ISSUES UNWELCOME TO US (OR FOR THAT MATTER UNWELCOME TO THE US ADMINISTRATION). IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE SOLARZ HAS ALREADY SUCCESSFULLY GENERATED SOME CONCERN ON THE HILL ABOUT THE PLIGHT OF HONG KONG (CF HIS NOVEMBER HEARING, OUR TELNO 2959). HIS AIM NOW MUST BE TO PUT MORE PRESSURE ON THE ADMINISTRATION, WHOSE POLICY IS STILL UNDECIDED. IT IS POSSIBLE THEREFORE THAT A BRITISH GOVERNMENT WITNESS WOULD IN EFFECT BE TESTIFYING AGAINST THE ADMINISTRATION. MOREOVER QUESTIONING IS BOUND TO STRAY INTO AREAS OTHER THAN THE IMMIGRATION SAFETY NET FOR HONG KONG (EG VBPS, UK/CHINA NEGOTIATIONS, UK IMMIGRATION POLICY) WHICH MIGHT ATTRACT UNWELCOME PUBLICITY. THESE WOULD BE MATTERS FOR CONSIDERATION EVEN IF WE COULD PERSUADE THE COMMITTEE TO ACCEPT AN APPEARANCE ON THE QUOTE INFORMAL UNQUOTE BASIS OUTLINED IN FCO CIRCULAR NUMBER 359/89.
3. SOLARZ HAS NOT YET RETURNED TO WASHINGTON, AND HIS STAFF ARE UNABLE TO SAY WHAT PRECISELY HE HAD IN MIND.
THIS GIVES US SCOPE TO FEED IN IDEAS OF OUR OWN. SEEN FROM HERE A BETTER APPROACH MIGHT BE FOR US TO FURNISH SOLARZ NEARER THE OCCASION WITH A LETTER REITERATING THE UK'S APPROACH TO THE PROBLEM AND ANSWERING ANY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS HE MIGHT HAVE. THIS COULD BE USED BY HIM AT THE HEARING AS HE SAW FIT (MOST PROBABLY BY BEING INCORPORATED INTO HIS OWN REMARKS). THIS MIGHT USEFULLY BE SUPPLEMENTED BY AN INFORMAL, OFF THE RECORD BRIEFING OF
THE COMMITTEE BY A UK OFFICIAL OUTSIDE THE FORMAL HEARING.
ACLAND
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CONFIDENTIAL