CONFIDENTIAL
MAR 027/1
Air p.a. det
025157
MDHOAN 3825 (52
CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO
TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
TELNO 1573
OF 051801Z NOVEMBER 92
нив HUB 027/1
PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR FROM RICKETTS, HKD
148
YOUR TELNO 2612: YOUR VISIT TO LONDON: SUBJECTS FOR DISCUSSION
1.
2.
THANK YOU FOR LETTING US KNOW WHAT WILL BE ON YOUR AGENDA.
WE WILL SUGGEST THAT THE SECRETARY OF STATE SHOULD CONCENTRATE THE DISCUSSION AT HIS OFFICE MEETING ON 16 NOVEMBER ON THE WAY FORWARD ON CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUES AND THE LINKED QUESTION OF RELATIONS WITH CHINA OVER HONG KONG. AS YOU KNOW, SIR ROBIN MCLAREN WILL BE PRESENT FOR THIS, AND IT WILL BE A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW THE BIDDING IN ADVANCE OF OPD (K).
3.
MR GOODLAD HAS IN MIND A BROADER GATHERING FOR HIS LUNCH ON 19 NOVEMBER FOR YOU. THE US AMBASSADOR, RAY SEITZ, HAS ALREADY AGREED TO COME. SO THAT WILL NOT REALLY BE AN OCCASION FOR IN-HOUSE BUSINESS.
4.
AT OFFICIAL LEVEL, WE DO NOT HAVE ANY OTHER SPECIFIC ISSUES TO RAISE WITH YOU, ALTHOUGH IF THERE IS A CHANCE IT WOULD BE USEFUL TO TOUCH ON THE WAY FORWARD ON THE AIRPORT. IT WOULD ALSO BE HELPFUL TO US HERE TO KNOW BROADLY WHAT LINE YOU WILL BE TAKING ON THE GARRISON RUN DOWN WITH THE DEFENCE SECRETARY.
5. ON HMOCS, OUR GAME PLAN IS AS FOLLOWS. THE PAPER WITH COSTED OPTIONS, COMMISSIONED AT THE MEETING WITH THE CHIEF SECRETARY TO THE TREASURY IN EARLY JULY, SHOULD BE FINALISED THIS WEEK. THE SECRETARY OF STATE HAS ALREADY MINUTED TO MR PORTILLO, PRESSING FOR A MEETING NEXT WEEK IN ORDER TO DISCUSS IT. I UNDERSTAND THAT A MEETING IS LIKELY ON 13 NOVEMBER. OUR THINKING IS THAT THIS MEETING WILL ALMOST CERTAINLY NOT LEAD TO A SATISFACTORY AGREEMENT. BUT BY HOLDING IT NEXT WEEK, WE PRESERVE THE OPTION OF TAKING THE ISSUE ON TO OPD (K) ON 18 NOVEMBER: OR AT LEAST ENABLING YOU AND THE SECRETARY OF STATE TO CONSIDER WHETHER IN THE LIGHT OF TREASURY OBDURACY SOME OTHER WAY SHOULD BE FOUND FOR THE PRIME MINISTER TO ARBITRATE. WE WERE CONCERNED THAT IF WE LEFT THE INITIAL MEETING ON THE OPTIONS PAPER UNTIL YOU WERE
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