RESTRICTED
رضع
072027
MDHIAN 8704
RESTRICTED
FM PEKING
TO IMMEDIATE F CO
TELNO 1797
OF 230858Z OCTOBER 91
AND TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
HKD
021/6.
TOP COPY Q DIST?
INFO PRIORITY UKREP JLG HONG KONG, B T C HONG KONG
carod
fil.
F C O TELNO 1733
S.
UK/HK POLICY ACT 1991 (MCCONNELL BILL).
·
1 WE HAVE NOT YET SEEN THE DRAFT BILL. COULD SEND A COPY BY FAX.
GRATEFUL IF HONG KONG
23
2.
FROM THE INFORMATION ALREADY AVAILABLE TO US FROM THE PRESS AND OTHER SOURCES, WE KNOW THAT THE CHINESE ARE OPPOSED TO THIS BILL. THEIR OBJECTIONS ARE BASED ON CONCERN AT:
(A) INTERNATIONALISATION OF HONG KONG.
(B) AMERICAN INTERFERENCE IN THE AFFAIRS OF THE TERRITORY (CHINESE WARNINGS ABOUT US CONGRESSIONAL OBSERVERS AT THE LEGCO ELECTIONS DEMONSTRATED THEIR SENSITIVITY).
SINO-U S RELATIONS ARE ALREADY DIFFICULT ON A NUMBER OF FRONTS AND MAY WELL DETERIORATE FURTHER, PARTICULARLY IN THE TRADE FIELD.
3.
THE POSSIBILITY THAT MONITORING DEVELOPMENTS IN HONG KONG WOULD BECOME PART OF DOMESTIC U S LEGISLATION IS LIKELY TO BE AS SENSITIVE AS PRESIDENT BUSH'S PUBLIC COMMITMENT TO PROMOTE TAIWAN'S ACCESSION TO GATT. BOTH ARE SEEN AS INFRINGEMENTS OF CHINA'S SOVEREIGNTY.
4 REFERENCE IN U S LEGISLATION TO HONG KONG'S ''HIGH DEGREE OF AUTONOMY '' WOULD ALMOST CERTAINLY PROVOKE CHINESE COMPLAINTS.
•
WHEN PRESSED ON THIS POINT THE CHINESE SIDE
OFTEN FALL BACK ON A QUOTATION FROM DENG XIAOPING TO THE EFFECT
1
PAGE RESTRICTED
THIS IS A COPY
THE ORIGINAL HAS BEEN
CLOSED UNDER
FOI EXEMPTION NO. 27.).
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