Mr Ricketts, HKD
CONFIDENTIAL
Mi3 017/2
W174
174
Hong Kong: Paper for OPD(K)
The Secretary of State has seen your submission of 5 November. However, he has commented that the draft minute to the Prime Minister does not get us very far. There is no analysis of what we might talk to the Chinese about. He doubts whether the minor points mentioned by the Governor at OPD (K) on 15 September would be sufficient to constitute an agenda for such discussions. Nor does the draft analyse in depth what the Chinese might do, or the cards, for example with the Clinton Administration, that we hold in our hands. The Secretary of State would like the draft to be recast to reflect these points.
On para 6 of your submission, the Secretary of State is not at all keen on the idea that he should meet the Chinese Foreign Minister earlier than the next planned meeting in March 1993. He considers that any initiative for such a meeting must come from the Chinese; and that the Governor would have to be involved. This point should also be taken into account in recasting the draft minute.
9 November 1992
CC : PS
PS/Mr Goodlad PS/PUS
Mr Hum
Mr Davies, FED
Stroom Smith.
(J S Smith)
CONFIDENTIAL