CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 2206
OF 27110OZ AUGUST 92
CONFIDENTIAL
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
Constr 63
sezt
160000 MDHIAN 6844
MAN3 017/2
TOP COPY Q DIST?
FOR FOX, HKD
FROM GOVERNOR.
"Waz
YOUR TELNO 1285: CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENTS: HANDLING THE CHINESE.
1.
I AGREE THAT IT WOULD BE HELPFUL IF SIR R.MCLAREN COULD CALL ON LU PING SOON AFTER HIS RETURN TO PEKING. I SUGGEST THAT HE SHOULD EMPHASISE TO LU THE IMPORTANCE OF WHAT THE SECRETARY OF STATE WILL TELL QIAN QICHEN, I.E. QIAN WILL BE TOLD BROADLY HOW WE SEE THE WAY AHEAD ON THE MAJOR CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUES. THAT SHOULD HELP ENSURE THE RIGHT ATTENDANCE IN NEW YORK FROM THE CHINESE SIDE. IF IT DOES NOT, WE CANNOT BE ACCUSED OF NOT FLAGGING THE POINT. OBVIOUSLY SIR R.MCLAREN SHOULD NOT GO INTO DETAILS OF THE PACKAGE AT THIS STAGE SINCE THAT WOULD UNDERCUT THE PURPOSE OF THE NEW YORK MEETING.
2.
AS A SECOND STAGE, I PROPOSE TO SEND LU PING ANOTHER MESSAGE AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME AS THE NEW YORK MEETING, AND WOULD BE GRATEFUL IF SIR R.MCLAREN WOULD DELIVER THIS. INEVITABLY THIS WILL COVER MUCH OF THE SAME GROUND AS THE SECRETARY OF STATES MEETING WITH QIAN. BUT I THINK IT IMPORTANT, IN TERMS OF MY OWN RELATIONSHIP WITH LU, THAT HE DOES NOT ONLY HEAR OF MY PLANS INDIRECTLY. IT WOULD ALSO BE USEFUL, PRIOR TO MY VISIT, TO KNOW OF ANY INSTANT REACTION WHICH LU GIVES TO SIR R.MCLAREN. SO AS NOT TO UNDERCUT THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S MEETING, THIS MEETING WITH LU SHOULD ONLY BE SET UP SHORTLY IN ADVANCE.
PATTEN
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