CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO
TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
TELNO 595
OF 27180OZ MARCH 91
CONFIDENTIAL
HKD 026/9
63
031772
MDHOAN 0673
TOP COPY Q DIST?
PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR FROM PAUL, HKD
VISIT OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE TO HONG KONG: POSSIBLE MEETING WITH ZHOU NAN
THE SECRETARY OF STATE HAS ASKED WHETHER HE SHOULD SEE
ZHOU NAN DURING HIS FORTHCOMING VISIT.
1.
2.
BUT HE
HE RECOGNISES THAT THERE ARE ARGUMENTS AGAINST THIS. CONSIDERS THAT A MEETING MIGHT PROVIDE A USEFUL OPPORTUNITY TO REINFORCE THE STRONG MESSAGE ABOUT PADS AND OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH CHINA OVER HONG KONG WHICH HE WILL BE CONVEYING TO HIS INTERLOCUTORS IN PEKING, AND TO DISPEL SOME OF THE MISCONCEPTIONS WHICH ZHOU NAN SEEMS TO BE LABOURING UNDER.
3. I SHOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR YOUR ADVICE. IF YOU SAW STRONG OVERRIDING OBJECTIONS, THE SECRETARY OF STATE WOULD NO DOUBT BE GUIDED BY YOU. BUT HIS PRESENT INCLINATION WOULD BE TO SEE ZHOU NAN.
4 -
IF A MEETING WENT AHEAD, WE WOULD ENVISAGE THE MEETING TAKING PLACE AT GOVERNMENT HOUSE. DOES THIS SEEM RIGHT TO YOU?
HURD
YYYY
ΜΑΙΝ
22
LIMITED
HKD
FED
DISTRIBUTION
22
SIR J COLES
MR BURNS
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