CONFIDENTIAL
033745
$59
MDHOAN
SHOULD NOT HAVE ANY STRINGS ATTACHED. CHINA ALWAYS WORKED FOR THE INTERESTS OF CHINESE PEOPLE: ALTHOUGH THESE MIGHT NOT COINCIDE WITH WHAT OTHERS THOUGHT.
4. LIN SAID THAT, AS REGARDS THE HONG KONG/CHINA ISSUES, A FURTHER ROUND OF DISCUSSIONS WOULD START VERY SOON. WHILE HE HAD NO INSIDE KNOWLEDGE, HE PERSONALLY HOPED THAT THERE WOULD BE A GOOD RESULT.
5.
LIN CONCLUDED BY SAYING THAT HE APPRECIATED OUR OFFER OF ASSISTANCE ON MFN AND WOULD REPORT IT TO PEKING IMMEDIATELY. LIN SAID THAT WHILE HE WAS AWARE THAT THEIR WASHINGTON EMBASSY HAD BEEN ACTIVE, HE HAD NO DETAILS OF WHAT STEPS THEY HAD TAKEN AND WOULD SEEK INSTRUCTIONS.
COMMENT
6.
A FAIRLY LOW KEY PERFORMANCE BY LIN. IT WAS BY NO MEANS CLEAR THAT HE WAS AWARE OF YOUR CALL ON SONG MINGJIANG (TO WHICH DAVIES REFERRED). HIS RESPONSE WAS GENERALLY FRIENDLY AND MUTED. THERE WAS NO RHETORIC ABOUT INTERFERENCE IN CHINA'S INTERNAL AFFAIRS (INDEED LIN SUGGESTED THAT CHINA DID NOT WISH TO TAKE ACTION WHICH WOULD GIVE RISE TO CRITICISM FROM THE OUTSIDE WORLD EXCLAM) IT WILL BE INTERESTING TO SEE WHAT, IF ANYTHING, HE COMES BACK ON AS ACTION TAKEN BY THEIR WASHINGTON EMBASSY.
HURD
YYYY
ΜΑΙΝ
71
LIMITED
HKD
FED
NAD
SEAD
RAD
ERD
DISTRIBUTION
71
ESAU
PUSD
PS/LORD CAITHNESS
SIR J COLES
MR BURNS
NNNN
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