CONFIDENTIAL
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pa Constit Dezzot.
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MDHOAN 0020/02
TOP COPY Q DIST?
CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO
TO IMMEDIATE PEKING
TELNO 688
OF 021925Z SEP 92
thaß 017/2
AND TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
INFO IMMEDIATE PRETORIA
95
(क)
YOUR TELNO 1204 AND HONG KONG TELNO 2206: HONG KONG CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENTS: HANDLING THE CHINESE
1. WE WERE GRATEFUL FOR THESE THOUGHTS. WE HAVE NOW DISCUSSED THE QUESTION WITH MR GOODLAD, (SIR R MCLAREN WAS ALSO PRESENT). MR GOODLAD AGREED THAT THE AMBASSADOR SHOULD SEEK A CALL ON LU PING VERY SOON AFTER HIS RETURN TO PEKING ON 13 SEPTEMBER, AND ALSO A PARALLEL CALL AT A COMPARABLELEVEL IN THE MFA FOR A BROADER DISCUSSION. GRATEFUL IF YOU COULD TRY TO ARRANGE THESE
CALLS.
2. WE SHALL DRAFT A SPEAKING NOTE HERE FOR SIR R MCLAREN'S USE WITH LU PING AND CLEAR IT WITH HONG KONG AND YOU BEFORE SIR R MCLAREN'S RETURN TO POST. THE MAIN NEW POINT TO GET ACROSS WILL BE THAT THE SECRETARY OF STATE EXPECTS TO BE IN A POSITION BY 25 SEPTEMBER TO TELL QIAN QICHEN BROADLY HOW THE GOVERNOR AND WE SEE THE WAY AHEAD ON THE MAJOR HONG KONG CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUES AND HOW WE PROPOSE THAT WE SHOULD CONSULT ABOUT THOSE ASPECTS WHICH RELATE TO CONVERGENCE IN 1997.
3=
EVEN IF WE FLAG UP OUR INTENTIONS IN THIS WAY, WE STILL SEE SOME DANGER THAT QIAN COULD COME TO THE MEETING WITHOUT HONG KONG EXPERTS, AND THAT AS A RESULT PEKING COULD RECEIVE A GARBLED REPORT OF WHAT THE SECRETARY OF STATE SAYS TO HIM AND REACT BADLY. HONG KONG TELNO 2066 EXPLAINED WHY THE GOVERNOR JUDGED IT BETTER NOT AT THIS STAGE TO PROPOSE SUPPLEMENTING THE MINISTERIAL DISCUSSION WITH AN EXTRA MEETING AT OFFICIAL LEVEL. IN THE LIGHT OF WHAT MR GALSWORTHY HAS TOLD GUO FENGMIN (UKREP JLG TELNO 348) WE ASSUME THAT GUO TOO WILL TRAVEL TO NEW YORK. HOWEVER IT WOULD BE HELPFUL IF UKREP JLG COULD CHECK WHETHER THIS HAS YET BEEN DECIDED. SIR R MCLAREN COULD IN ANY CASE TELL LU PING THAT THE SECRETARY OF STATE WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY SENIOR OFFICIALS FROM LONDON AND HONG KONG WITH THE RELEVANT EXPERTISE. (WE EXPECT, SUBJECT TO CONFIRMATION, THAT THESE WILL BE GALSWORTHY, HUM AND SZE), AND THAT THESE OFFICIALS WOULD BE ABLE TO STAY ON IN NEW
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