selsthat";
CONFIDENTIAL
024013 MDHIAN 770
COMMENTS
5.
OUR ASSESSMENT IS THAT THE CHINESE ARE LIKELY TO BE CONSIDERING DILUTING THE EFFECTS OF THE PACKAGE AS PERCEIVED BY THEM BY TAKING A HARD-LINE STANCE OVER THE SELECTION OF PRINCIPAL OFFICIALS AS WELL AS BY STEPPING UP UNITED FRONT WORK IN HONG KONG. NEVERTHELESS, THE TONE OF THE ARTICLE SUGGESTS THAT THE CHINESE PROBABLY HAVE NOT YET DECIDED ON THE SPECIFIC MEASURES THAT THEY SHOULD TAKE. YET THEY DO NOT WANT TO APPEAR TO BE WEAK AND THIS ACCOUNTS FOR THE THREATENING TONE IN THE LATTER PART OF THE ARTICLE.
WILSON
YYYY
MAIN
67
.HK AGREEMENT NATIONALITY
LIMITED
HKD
HD/FED
HD/NTD
HD/CONSULAR D
NEWS D
PUSD
ADDITIONAL
11
HK AGREEMENT NATIONALITY
NNNN
DISTRIBUTION
78
PS
PS/MR MAUDE
PS/LORD BRABAZON
PS/PUS
MR GILLMORE
MR MCLAREN
MR BLATHERWICK
MISS SPENCER
PAGE
2
CONFIDENTIAL
*