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FROM JENNIFER TOWNSON, PARIS TO TERRY FURNESS, HKD, FCO COPIED TO HONG KONG
FRANCE/HONG KONG
1.
Fels with file
I HAD LUNCH ON 3 SEPTEMBER WITH LE CORRE, (QUAI DESK OFFICER FOR HONG KONG AND TAIWAN). THE FOLLOWING POINTS ARE WORTH RECORDING.
VISIT OF HONG KONG GOVERNMENT MISSION
2.
LE CORRE CONFIRMED THAT A DELEGATION FROM THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT WERE DISCUSSING AGREEMENTS ON EXTRADITION AND PROTECTION OF INVESTMENT THIS WEEK WITH THE DIRECTION JURIDIQUE IN THE QUAI.
THE DISCUSSIONS WERE MERELY PREPARATORY AND THAT NOTHING SUBSTANTIAL WAS EXPECTED OF THEM IN THE IMMEDIATE FUTURE. AN AGREEMENT ON THE PROTECTION OF INVESTMENTS SHOULD BE RELATIVELY EASY TO NEGOTIATE, BUT THE QUAI ENVISAGED GREATER LEGAL PROBLEMS OVER AN AGREEMENT AS EXTRADITION WHICH WOULD REMAIN IN FORCE AFTER
1997.
POST-SCRIPT TO MARTIN LEE'S VISIT
3.
I TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY TO REINFORCE UK VIEWS ON MARTIN LEE'S
SUGGESTION THAT AN INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION TO OVERSEE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SINO-BRITISH AGREEMENT BE SET UP (FCO TELELETTER OF 9 JULY CHINESE WOULD BE MORE EFFECTIVE THAN ANTAGONISING THEM BY MASS INTERNATIONAL ACTION. LE CORRE CONFIRMED THAT LEE HAD NOT BEEN GIVEN ANY ENCOURAGEMENT FOR HIS IDEA BY THE QUAI.
BY-ELECTION RESULT
4. WE BRIEFLY DISCUSSED THE RECENT BY-ELECTION DEFEAT FOR THE LIBERALS. THE QUAI WERE WATCHING WITH INTEREST AS THIS WAS A SURPRISING RESULT AND LE CORRE ASKED IF THERE WAS AN OFFICIAL
ANALYSIS BASED ON THIS RESULT. I SAID THAT IT WAS PROBABLY RATHER EARLY TO MAKE PREDICTIONS ON THE BASIS OF ONE RESULT, THE DEMOCRATS HAD CERTAINLY SHRUGGED IT OFF AS A BY-ELECTION ANOMALY, BUT IT WAS
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