CONFIDENTIAL
Background
References: A UKREP telno 284 of 1989: JLG XIV
B UKREP telno 620: JLG XV
1.
The Chinese have consistently criticised our efforts to
persuade other countries to grant citizenship to Hong Kong people and to raise Hong Kong in international fora. They
claim that this amounts to an attempt to 'internationalise'
the Hong Kong queston, which could only be dealt with by the
British and Chinese Governments in accordance with the Joint
Declaration.
2.
The Chinese reacted particularly strongly to the inclusion of a passage on Hong Kong in the CHOGM communiqué
last October. 'Internationalisation' also featured prominently at JLG XIV in December.
It arose again at JLG
XV in April but in a more perfunctory way.
3.
Nevertheless this is an issue on which the Chinese
remain extremely sensitive. Any attempt to raise Hong Kong
publicly at future international meetings is likely to
provoke further Chinese accusations about
'internationalisation'.
Hong Kong Department
19 July 1990
BAYAAT/3
CONFIDENTIAL