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FM PEKING
TO PRIORITY F CO
TELNO 617
OF 010206Z MAY 91
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Ms Major
HKCO26/8
INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG
whe Will
Here I think Mur Coates was
a little too
саде
to reply
no doubt
off the cuff, albeit yan
pezonal basis. We can play this longish
лгох
4.
157340
MDLIAN 7439
HONG KONG FOR PA
CHINESE DEMARCHE
2 1/V
DALAI LAMA:
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·
DURING COUNSELLOR'S CALL ON THE MFA ON 30 APRIL ON OTHER BUSINESS ZHAO JIHUA READ OUT A FORMAL PROTEST ABOUT A POSSIBLE VISIT BY THE DALAI LAMA TO HONG KONG AT THE INVITATION OF SOME NON-GOVERNMENTAL PERSONNEL. FOLLOWING IS THE CONTENT OF ZHAO'S
STATEMENT.
BEGINS.
THE
2. AS IS KNOWN TO ALL, TIBET IS PART OF CHINESE TERRITORY. QUESTION OF TIBET IS IN ANY CASE CHINA'S INTERNAL AFFAIR AND BROOKS NO INTERFERENCE FROM OUTSIDE. THE DALAI LAMA IS NOT A RELIGIOUS FIGURE IN THE ORDINARY SENSE BUT A POLITICAL EXILE LIVING ABROAD WHO HAS LONG ENGAGED IN ATTEMPTS TO SPLIT UP CHINA AND UNDERMINE THE UNITY OF ITS NATIONALITIES. AS FAR AS THE DALAI LAMA'S POLITICAL ACTIVITIES ARE CONCERNED, WE ARE OPPOSED TO ANY ACT OF CONNIVANCE OR SUPPORT ON THE PART OF ANY FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS, INDIVIDUALS OR ORGANISATIONS. SHOULD THE HONG KONG/BRITISH GOVERNMENT ALLOW THE DALAI LAMA TO VISIT HONG KONG IT WOULD AMOUNT TO CONNIVANCE AND SUPPORT FOR THE DALAI LAMA'S POLITICAL ACTIVITIES OF ADVOCATING TIBETAN INDEPENDENCE AND THE SPLITTING OF CHINA. SUCH AN ACT, WHICH IS VERY SERIOUS IN NATURE, WOULD NOT ONLY SERIOUSLY HURT THE NATIONAL FEELINGS OF 1.1 BILLION CHINESE PEOPLE, INCLUDING THOSE OF OUR HONG KONG COMPATRIOTS, BUT WOULD ALSO BE BOUND TO CREATE DIFFICULTIES AND OBSTACLES TO SINO-BRITISH COOPERATION ON THE QUESTION OF HONG KONG AND THUS BE DETRIMENTAL TO THE MAINTENANCE OF STABILITY AND PROSPERITY OF HONG KONG. THE CHINESE SIDE ASKS THE BRITISH SIDE TO MAKE A CLARIFICATION ON THIS ISSGE AND TO ADOPT PRACTICAL MEASURES TO STOP THE DALAI LAMA FROM VISITING HONG KONG IN ANY CAPACITY AND IN ANY FORM. WE HOPE THAT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT, SETTING STORE BY THE OVERALL INTEREST OF SINO-BRITISH RELATIONS AND THE MUTUAL COOPERATION OF THE TWO SIDES ON THE QUESTION OF
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