RESTRICTED
C
161040
MDLIAN 9603
RESTRICTED
FM TOKYO
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 491
OF 18070OZ JUNE 91
INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG, UKREP JLG HONG KONG, PEKING
FCO TELNO 375: JAPAN /HONG KONG
SUMMARY
1.
THE MFA WILL AGAIN UNDERLINE JAPANESE INTERESTS IN HONG KONG DURING QIAN QICHEN'S VISIT NEXT WEEK. SUPPORT
FOR POST-SUMMIT DEBRIEF FOR CHINA.
DETAIL
2.
PAUL (HKD) YESTERDAY (17 JUNE) BRIEFED MIYAMOTO CHEAD OF CHINA DIVISION, MFA) ON THE OUTCOME OF THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP AND HAD A USEFUL EXCHANGE OF VIEWS ON HONG KONG/CHINA/JAPAN
ISSUES. PAUL TOOK ADVANTAGE OF HIS VISIT TO CALL ON KOSUGI (LDP)
DISCUSS THE PROSPECTIVE HONG KONG/JAPAN PARLIAMENTARY GROUP AND TO MEET HONG KONG REPRESENTATIVES IN JAPAN AND JAPANESE BUSINESSMEN AND JOURNALISTS WITH INTERESTS IN HONG KONG. THE MAIN POINTS ARE RECORDED BELOW. DETAILED POINTS FOLLOW BY BAG.
3. MIYAMOTO SAID THAT WHEN QIAN QICHEN VISITED TOKYO ON 25 JUNE NAKAYAMA WOULD REGISTER WITH HIM:
A) JAPAN'S CONTINUING INTEREST IN HONG KONG'S PROSPERITY AND
STABILITY
B)
THAT CHINA SHOULD UNDERSTAND THAT THE PRESERVATION OF THE BUSINESS CONFIDENCE NECESSARY FOR THIS PROSPERITY AND STABILITY COULD BE JEOPARDISED BY THOUGHTLESS ACTIONS BY THE CHINESE C) SLOW PROGRESS ON THE AIRPORT WAS A MATTER OF PARTICULAR CONCERN TO JAPAN. THIS HAD BECOME OF SYMBOLIC SIGNIFICANCE AND THE CHINESE ATTITUDE WAS ALREADY AFFECTING JAPANESE BUSINESS
CONFIDENCE.
4. IT WAS CLEAR FROM COMMENTS BY MIYAMOTO AND SOME OF THE BUSINESSMEN THAT POINT C) IS NOT SPECIAL
PLEADING. THE JAPANESE ARE FOLLOWING PROGRESS ON
THE AIRPORT CLOSELY AND ARE CONCERNED ABOUT IT THOUGH WILLING TO DO WHAT THEY CAN WITH THE CHINESE TO HELP THE PROJECT GET OFF THE GROUND. THEY SEE THE PROJECT AS A KEY ELEMENT IN THE
1
PAGE RESTRICTED