CONFIDENTAL
FM PEKING
TO DESKBY 10093OZ FCO
TELNO 337
OF 100847Z MARCH 92
CONFIDENTIAL
HKA 233/1
TOP COPY
Q DIST?
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
84
155160
MDHIAN 6144
la
4 2013
FOR HKD
8€
81
YOUR TELNOS 452 AND 453: HMOCS:
BRIEFING THE CHINESE
1. WE WILL BE SENDING DETAILED COMMENTS ON THE TEXT IN YOUR SECOND TUR AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. IN THE MEANTIME YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT I HAVE STRONG RESERVATIONS ABOUT THE APPROACH WHICH IT EMBODIES. THE DRAFT IS TOO LONG, TOO DIFFUSE AND TOO COMPLICATED. IT IS NOT DRAFTED WITH A CHINESE AUDIENCE IN MIND. MORE IMPORTANT, IT EXPOSES FAR TOO MUCH SURFACE. IT REVEALS DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE HONG KONG AND UK GOVERNMENTS AND LEAVES THE READER IN DOUBT AS TO WHAT DECISIONS WILL BE TAKEN. IT INVITES CHINESE COUNTER PROPOSALS, NOT ONLY BECAUSE THE MESSAGE IS INSUFFICIENTLY CLEAR, BUT BECAUSE IT INCORPORATES IDEAS TO WHICH THE CHINESE ARE BOUND TO REACT BADLY, IN PARTICULAR THE NOTION THAT THE HKG SHOULD PAY FOR OR CONTRIBUTE TO COMPENSATION FOR HMOCS OFFICERS.
2.
THE FACT THAT THE SECRETARY OF STATE HAS NOW MENTIONED THIS SUBJECT TO QIAN QICHEN MEANS THAT WE MUST BE PREPARED TO EXPLAIN OUR THINKING TO THE CHINESE BEFORE TOO LONG. BUT WE SHOULD SURELY WAIT UNTIL WE ARE CLEAR IN OUR OWN MINDS ABOUT THE NATURE OF THE SCHEME WHICH HMG INTEND TO INTRODUCE, AND THEN PUT IT TO THE CHINESE IN A WAY WHICH LEAVES THEM IN NO DOUBT THAT WE ARE INFORMING THEM OF WHAT WE INTEND TO DO AND NOT EMBARKING ON A CONSULTATIVE PROCESS. AS SEEN FROM HERE THE DRAFT IN HONG KONG TELNO 733 MORE NEARLY MEETS THE REQUIREMENT THAN YOUR REVISED VERSION.
MCLAREN
YYYY
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CONFIDENTIAL