SECRET AND PERSONAL
As a first step, the Governor proposes to use the visit to Peking this weekend by a member of his Executive Council, Mr C H Tung, to send a message to the Chinese side. This would say
that the Governor does not want the situation to worsen and that he thinks it quite likely that someone in LegCo will put forward alternative proposals which he hopes would be acceptable to all.
Such a message would not give any commitment on the form of
proposals or the handling of discussion with China. But it
would signal that we were open to suitable alternative ideas.
The Foreign Secretary thinks that this would be a useful step which might help to calm an increasingly inflamed situation. We would need to confirm agreement to the Governor if possible by 4 December.
I am sending copies of this letter to the Private Secretaries of members of OPD (K) and to Melanie Leech (Cabinet Office).
Private Secretary
SECRET AND PERSONAL
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