CONFIDENTIAL
нис 01214
CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO
TO IMMEDIATE PEKING
TELNO 932
OF 201556Z NOVEMBER 92
AND TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
INFO IMMEDIATE UKREP JLG HONG KONG
B
100111 MDHOAN 4669.
TOP COPY Q DIST?
Chr
ри
HONG KONG: PROPOSAL FOR CALL ON LU PING
1. If the Governor agrees, I think that it would be useful for you to seek a call on Lu Ping following your return from London.
2. I have no illusion that such an approach is likely to have any significant effect on Chinese thinking. But it would be an opportunity to restate the main points made to Zhu by Ministers (and thereby to ensure that they are fully registered in Peking). It would also show whether Lu Ping is in any mood to reengage in dialogue on Hong Kong. It might just have an effect on Chinese decisions as to whether to ratchet up the pressure further now that Zhu's visit to London is out of the way.
3. Subject to the Governor's views, you should make the following points:
on your return to Peking, you wished to give Lu Ping your impressions of the talks between Zhu Rongji and Ministers on Hong Kong.
- Ministers had found these useful, even though differences between the two sides remained. They had valued Zhu's frank statement of the Chinese position. At the same time they hoped that our position, as it had been explained to Zhu, would be carefully considered in Peking.
- Ministers had emphasised to Zhu Rongji that there was no change in the British Government's policy towards Hong Kong. We still wished to ensure a smooth transition to 1997 and a successful Hong Kong beyond that.
we still attached great importance to good cooperation with China on the basis of the joint declaration, to which we remained absolutely committed.
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