CONFIDENTIAL
ри
(Eleglo & Elations) pa
125663 MDHIAN 8351
CONFIDENTIAL
FM PEKING
TO DESKBY 18083OZ HONG KONG
TELNO 78
OF 180753Z JUNE 92
INFO DESKBY 18083OZ F C O
INFO PRIORITY UKREP JLG HONG KONG
TOP COPY Q DIST?
PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR FROM AMBASSADOR
(222) 18274
YOUR TELNO 1827 LEGCO MOTION DEBATE ON OMELCO CONSENSUS
1.
IT IS DIFFICULT TO SEE HOW SCA CAN SAY MUCH LESS THAN WHAT IS
IN THE DRAFT REPLY TO MCGREGOR'S MOTION: FAILURE TO REPEAT WHAT MINISTERS HAVE SAID IN PUBLIC WOULD LOOK LIKE BACKING DOWN. BUT THE DEBATE IS SINGULARLY ILL-TIMED. IN THEIR PRESENT FRAME OF MIND
THE CHINESE WILL STRONGLY SUSPECT THAT WE PUT MCGREGOR UP TO IT.
2. THE MOTION AND THE DEBATE WILL NO DOUBT BE ROUNDLY DENOUNCED IN THE COMMUNIST PRESS. THEY ALSO SEEM LIKELY TO PROVOKE FURTHER STATEMENTS TO THE EFFECT THAT THE CHINESE HAVE NO INTENTION OF DISCUSSING ANY CHANGE IN THE NUMBER OF DIRECTLY ELECTED SEATS FOR
1997 WITH THE BRITISH SIDE.
ALL IN ALL, NOT THE BEST OF BACKGROUNDS AGAINST WHICH TO HOLD THE HIGH LEVEL AIRPORT TALKS WHICH WE HOPE MAY BE STARTING THE SAME TIME.
3=
MCLAREN
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MAIN
57
.HONG KONG AGREEMENT
. (RESTRICTED)
HKD
PUSD
FED//HD
LEGAL ADVISERS//MS BARRETT
DISTRIBUTION
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CONFIDENTIAL