CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO TELELETTER FCO
TELELETTER PA CR 1/4/5701/86
OF 130531Z JULY 92
CONFIDENTIAL
нас 026/5
32
014213
MDTTAN 2589
см
14/700 W. Copy Mr Hvan
M. Davies
FED
AND TO TELELETTER PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
Mr Wye,
FROM: WILLIAM EHRMAN, POLITICAL ADVISER, HONG KONG FOR: PETER RICKETTS ESQ., HEAD HKD, FCO COPIED TO: DAVID COATES ESQ., BE PEKING
ALAN PAUL ESQ., UKREP JLG HONG KONG
SENIOR CHINESE VISITORS TO HONG KONG
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2. M.Sox
My Sox 31~ M Bunké 134
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VICE-PREMIER TIAN JIYUN HAS POLITELY DECLINED THE GOVERNOR'S
INVITATION TO MEET HIM WHEN HE PASSES THROUGH HONG KONG ON THE
WEEKEND OF 18 JULY. FOREIGN MINISTER QIAN QICHEN IS TRANSITING
HONG KONG BRIEFLY ON 17 AND 23 JULY BUT NCNA HAVE PRE-EMPTIVELY
SAID THAT HE WILL NOT ON THIS OCCASION HAVE TIME FOR MEETINGS. THE GOVERNOR OF JIANGSU WILL BE IN HONG KONG FOR A NUMBER OF DAYS
AROUND 18 JULY BUT NCNA HAVE AGAIN TOLD US PRE-EMPTIVELY THAT HE
WILL NOT BE ABLE TO MEET WITH HKG OFFICIALS. THE MAYOR OF SHENZHEN, WHO IS IN HONG KONG AT THE MOMENT, HAS ALREADY TOLD THE PRESS THAT HE WILL BE HOLDING NO MEETINGS WITH GOVERNMENT
OFFICIALS.
2. IT SEEMS VERY CLEAR FROM THIS THAT ALL SENIOR CHINESE VISITORS
ARE BARRED FROM MEETING THE GOVERNOR FOR THE TIME-BEING. WE WOULD
NORMALLY HAVE EXPECTED A GOVERNOR OF A CHINESE PROVINCE AT LEAST TO BE ABLE TO PAY A CALL (THE GOVERNOR OF JIANGSU WAS IN HONG
KONG IN JANUARY 1991 AND CALLED ON LORD WILSON THEN). THE REASON FOR THIS DECISION IS ALMOST CERTAINLY THAT THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT WANTS THE FIRST OFFICIAL MEETINGS WITH THE GOVERNOR TO BE WITH THOSE WHO HANDLE HONG KONG AFFAIRS, I.E. ZHOU NAN HERE AND THEN LU PING. ZHOU NAN WAS TO HAVE PAID HIS INITIAL CALL ON THE GOVERNOR ON 16 JULY, BUT WE HAVE JUST LEARNED THAT HE HAS BEEN KEPT IN HOSPITAL IN PEKING AND IS UNLIKELY TO RETURN TO HONG KONG
UNTIL EARLY AUGUST.
SIGNED: W G EHRMAN (POLITICAL ADVISER)
YYYY
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