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HK202012
8.3
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MDHIAN 3414
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FM TOKYO
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 537
OF 01080OZ JULY 1991
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG, PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
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MY TELNO 533 AND YOUR TELNO 1208 TO HONG KONG: VISIT OF CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTER TO TOKYO
SUMMARY
1.
FURTHER WARMING OF CHINA/JAPAN RELATIONS. USEFUL MESSAGES ON HONG KONG, INCLUDING ON AIRPORT.
DETAIL
2 "
KKITERA (DEPUTY DIRECTOR CHINA DIVISION) BRIEFED US TODAY (1 JULY) ON NAKAYAMA'S DISCUSSIONS WITH QIAN QICHEN, ESPECIALLY ON HONG KONG. THE VISIT OVERALL HAD GONE WELL. THERE WAS A GROWING WARMTH IN BILATERAL RELATIONS AND KAIFU'S VISIT TO PEKING IN AUGUST WOULD BE THE NEXT AND NATURAL STEP. THE CHINESE HAD ALSO ISSUED A FORMAL INVITATION FOR THE EMPEROR TO VISIT CHINA IN 1992 (THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF NORMALISATION OF RELATIONS).
3.
THE ATMOSPHERE ON HONG KONG HAD BEEN GOOD AND QIAN QICHEN HAD SEEMED TO TAKE JAPANESE INTEREST AS LEGITIMATE. NAKAYAMA HAD STRESSED THREE POINTS. HE HAD EMPHASISED THE IMPORTANCE OF MAINTAINING A LIBERAL ECONOMIC FRAMEWORK BEYOND 1997, THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE NEW AIRPORT HAD BECOME A SYMBOL OF HONG KONG'S FUTURE PROSPERITY AND DELAY INPROCEEDING WITH THE PROJECT COULD DAMAGE CONFIDENCE, THE CHINESE ANNOUNCEMENT THAT THEY RESERVED THE RIGHT TO RECONSIDER THE LEGISLATION ON HUMAN RIGHTS HAD BEEN THE KIND OF STEP THAT COULS EASILY DAMAGE INVESTOR CONFIDENCE, INCLUDING IN JAPAN, AND CHINA SHOULD PROCEED WITH CAUTION.
4.
QIAN QICHEN HAD THANKED NAKAYAMA FOR JAPANESE INTEREST. CHINESE POLICY ON HONG KONG REMAINED THAT IT SHOULD BE PRESERVED AS AN INTERNATIONAL FINACIAL CENTRE WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE JOINT DECLARATION, THE BASIC LAW AND ONE COUNTRY/TWO SYSTEMS''. ON THE AIRPORT, BOTH THE UK AND CHINA AGREED ON THE NEED FOR THE PROJECT. THERE WERE PROBLEMS BUT THESE WOULD BE SOLVED IN A CONSTRUCTIVE WAY. HE WAS OPTIMISTIC THAT CONSULTATIONS WOULD REACH A SATISFACTORY SOLUTION. ON THE
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