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(c) The Governor said that one lesson he had learnt from the Secretary of State's visit was that we should try to ensure that FCO Ministers always had something specific to announce when they visited Hong Kong. We should therefore give some thought to what Mr. Goodlad might be able to announce during his visit in early September. Mr. Ricketts said that the Secretary of State was toying with the idea of making another visit to Hong Kong in October after attending a meeting in Manila. He thought that it would be better if he went to Jakarta instead.
(d)
Mr. Ricketts asked if the Governor was happy with the idea of other officials attending the meeting between the Secretary of State and Qian Qichen in New York on 28 September. UK Rep JLG said that he, PA and SCA would be in London the week before for the JLG meeting. Some or all of them could go on to New York. The Governor agreed.
(e) Dinner with Ambassador Ma: 4 August The
Governor said that he thought that it would help Ambassador Ma's reputation as a reliable intermediary if he could tell him something reasonably substantive. He had in mind to remind him that before leaving London he had told him what he would say and do on arrival in Hong Kong, and he had said and done these things. It was a pity that no-one had believed him at the time. It was important that the Chinese should realise that he would never be in a position to make political concessions in return for the airport. He felt able to speak to Ambassador Ma in these frank terms, as he had to his predecessor. He needed someone that he could trust and talk to in Hong Kong as well. If there was such a person, the Chinese would get a much better picture of what was going on in Hong Kong. Finally, the Chinese would find him as open as possible until they let him down, for example by leaking what he had said to them in confidence.
(£)
The Governor wondered if he should go on to say anything to Ambassador Ma about substantive issues, for example that he did not intend to stake Hong Kong's future or his reputation on trying to persuade the Chinese to change the Basic Law and that he wanted a strong
CONFIDENTIA