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MDLIAN 7439
HONG KONG, CAN TAKE SERIOUSLY THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT'S POSITION ON THE QUESTION OF TIBET AND REFRAIN FROM ONCE AGAIN TAKING AN ACTION WHICH IS DETRIMENTAL TO THE INTEREST OF THE IMPROVEMENT OF SINO-BRITISH RELATIONS AND MUTUAL COOPERATION.
ENDS.
3.
ZHAO REQUESTED COUNSELLOR TO REPORT IMMEDIATELY. THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT EXPECTED AN EARLY REPLY.
4.
COUNSELLOR UNDERTOOK TO REPORT THE CHINESE DEMARCHE. WOULD DECIDE THE SPEED OF OUR RESPONSE.
A) THE HKG CARRIED OUT ITS OWN INDEPENDENT IMMIGRATION
PROCEDURES AND IT WAS UP TO THE HKG TO DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT TO ADMIT THE DALAI LAMA INTO HONG KONG. B) AS THE HKG HAD SAID ON MANY OCCASIONS, IT HAD NO
INTENTION OF ALLOWING HONG KONG TO BE USED AS A BASE
FOR SUBVERSION AGAINST CHINA.
C) ON THE WIDER QUESTION OF TIBET, THE SECRETARY OF STATE
HAD TOLD QIAN QICHEN THAT HE SAW TIBET'S FUTURE AS
BEING PART OF CHINA BUT WITH A CONSIDERABLE DEGREE
OF AUTONOMY FOR TIBETAN PEOPLE.
D) OUTSIDE CHINA THE DALAI LAMA WAS REGARDED AS THE SPIRITUAL LEADER OF TIBETANS AND HAD, OF COURSE, BEEN AWARDED THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE.
WE
5. ZHAO REPLIED THAT THE REASON THE CHINESE SIDE HAD REMINDED THE BRITISH SIDE ABOUT THIS QUESTION, WAS THAT DURING THE TRANSITION PERIOD THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT WAS STILL RESPONSIBLE FOR ADMINISTERING HONG KONG. HE NOTED COUNSELLOR'S REMARKS AND REPEATED THAT TIBET WAS PART OF CHINESE TERRITORY AND ITS AFFAIRS WERE THE INTERNAL AFFAIR OF CHINA. HE RE-EMPHASISED THAT THE
DALAI LAMA HAD BECOME A POLITICAL EXILE LIVING ABROAD WHO HAD
LONG BEEN ENGAGED IN ATTEMPTS TO SPLIT CHINA AND UNDERMINE ITS
UNITY.
6. COUNSELLOR REMEMBERED AN EARLIER LINE TO TAKE ON THE LIKELY REFUSAL OF A VISA TO THE DALAI LAMA CHONG KONG TELNO NOT READILY TO HAND). HOWEVER, IN VIEW OF THE TIME WHICH HAS SINCE ELAPSED AND THE MEETING BETWEEN THE DALAI LAMA AND PRESIDENT BUSH, HE THOUGHT IT BEST NOT TO BE CATEGORIC ABOUT REFUSING THE DALAI LAMA
AN ENTRY VISA WITHOUT CHECKING.
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