RESTRICTED
020/5
يعيم
162431
MDLIAN 1806
RESTRICTED
FM HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 2893
OF 140945Z DECEMBER 92
TOP COPY Q DIST?
INFO PRIORITY PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG, BTC HONG KONG
INFO PRIORITY ATTC TAIPEI
BTC PLEASE PASS ATTC TAIPEI
138
TAIPEI TELNO 109: HONG KONG/TAIWAN RELATIONS
·
1 THE DIRECTOR GENERAL OF TRADE HAS NOT TAKEN A DECISION ON
REINSTATING HIS PLANNED VISIT TO TAIPEI. HE STILL HOPES TO VISIT WITH A DELEGATION, BUT IT MAY BE BEST IF MORRICE WARNS THE TAIWANESE THAT THE MONTHS IMMEDIATELY AHEAD OF US ARE GOING TO BE DIFFICULT. WE CONSIDER THE CHANNEL OF COMMUNICATION PROVIDED BY THE APEC UMBRELLA VERY IMPORTANT: AND THERE IS A RISK THAT IF IT
IS DRAGGED INTO THE AMBIT OF OUR CURRENT DISPUTE WITH THE CHINESE, IT WILL BE MORE DIFFICULT TO USE IT LATER ON. ONE OPTION MIGHT BE FOR TSANG TO TAKE HIS DELEGATION TO THE NEXT APEC MEETING (I.E. NOT IN TAIWAN) IN ORDER TO HAVE BROADER-RANGING TALKS WITH THE TAIWANESE. HOWEVER WE ARE DOUBTFUL AS TO WHETHER
THE TAIWANESE WILL PLAY ALONG WITH THIS.
2. WE NOTE THAT MORRICE HAS BEEN UNABLE TO SEE JASON HU. THIS IS
NOT AN URGENT PROBLEM. BUT WE MAY TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO LET THE
TAIWANESE HERE KNOW THAT IT WOULD BE EASIER IF THE CULTURAL AND
INFORMATION CENTRE WERE TO BE ESTABLISHED LATER NEXT YEAR: IF IT WERE NOT TO HAVE AN INNOCUOUS NAME: AND IF IT WERE NOT/NOT TO BE OBVIOUSLY FUNDED BY THE TAIWANESE GOVERNMENT, AS THEY PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED. IT IS THIS LAST POINT IN PARTICULAR THAT THE CHINESE WILL FOCUS ON IN DEMANDING THAT WE PREVENT IT OPENING.
PATTEN
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