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002 0 MDHOAN O142
OF PROPOSALS, MORE DIFFICULT? I HAVE PARTICULARLY IN MIND HANDLING AT WESTMINSTER.
THE WAY IN WHICH THIS POINT IS SEPARATED FROM THE OTHERS WHICH FOLLOW IN PARA 26 ONWARDS IMPLIES A DIFFERENCE OF APPROACH BETWEEN HMG AND HKG. HMG ARE GIVEN A TASK WHICH IS ACKNOWLEDGED IN PARA 26 TO HAVE AN OBVIOUS (AND IN PRACTICE OVER-RIDING) DIFFICULTY, WHILST HKG PURSUES A SEPARATE SET OF PROPOSALS CONVERGENT WITH THE BASIC LAW. DOES THIS NOT CARRY THE IMPLICATION THAT THERE WILL BE TWO PARALLEL BUT SEPARATE SETS OF DISCUSSIONS? WE EXPECT THAT THE CHINESE WILL TRY TO INSIST THAT DISCUSSION OF THE 1995 ELECTIONS CAN ONLY TAKE PLACE ON THE BASIS OF ACCEPTANCE AT THE OUTSET OF THE PRINCIPLE OF CONVERGENCE. FLAGGING UP SO CLEARLY THAT HMG WILL BE PURSUING A NON-CONVERGENT COURSE, WILL WE NOT GIVE THE CHINESE OPPORTUNITY TO DRIVE WEDGES? WILL NOT OUR BEST CHANCE OF A REASONABLE OUTCOME (TO WHAT WILL INEVITABLY BE AN EXTREMELY DIFFICULT NEGOTIATION) COME FROM KEEPING ALL THE ELEMENTS OF THE PACKAGE TOGETHER AND GIVING OURSELVES THE MAXIMUM SCOPE FOR TRADE-OFFS BETWEEN THEM? IN PURELY PRACTICAL TERMS, THE CHINESE WILL NO DOUBT EXPECT TO COVER ALL THE INSTITUTIONAL ISSUES RAISED IN YOUR LEGCO ADDRESS DURING YOUR VISIT TO PEKING.
5. WE HAD I THINK AGREED THAT THE SECRETARY OF STATE WOULD ONLY GIVE A BROAD ADVANCE INDICATION OF YOUR THINKING ON THE WHOLE RANGE OF ISSUES WHEN HE MEETS QIAN. OUR PRESENTATIONAL CONCERNS WOULD BE MET IF THE LAST TWO SENTENCES OF PARA 26 WERE MADE MORE GENERAL, ON THE LINES 'THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS RAISED THIS POINT WITH THE CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTER DURING THEIR MEETING IN NEW YORK TWO WEEKS AGO. THE CASE WILL CONTINUE TO BE PRESSED WITH VIGOUR''
6.
THAT THEN LEAVES THE POINT OF SUBSTANCE AS TO WHETHER THE SECRETARY OF STATE SHOULD IN FACT COMMIT HIMSELF IN HIS DISCUSSIONS WITH QIAN TO A PRECISELY QUANTIFIED FIGURE FOR DIRECTLY ELECTED SEATS. FOR THE REASONS GIVEN ABOVE, OUR FEELING IS THAT HE SHOULD NOT. YOUR DRAFT SPEECH RIGHTLY DAMPENS DOWN EXPECTATIONS OF AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF DIRECTLY ELECTED SEATS. IN OUR VIEW, IT WOULD BE BETTER FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE NOT TO GET HOOKED ON SPECIFIC TARGETS.
I WOULD BE GRATEFUL IF ARRANGEMENTS COULD BE MADE FOR MR GOODLAD ALSO TO SEE THIS TELEGRAM.
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