CONFIDENTIAL
pa lut support
mist "fn
(39)
153575 MDHOAN 5684
CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO
TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
TELNO 1718
OF 101916Z DECEMBER 92
AND TO IMMEDIATE TOKYO
TOP GOPY Q DIST?
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
FROM HKD
HONG KONG: JAPANESE SUPPORT
1.
THE JAPANESE EMBASSY HERE HAVE SAID TWICE TO US RECENTLY THAT JAPAN WAS WILLING TO SPEAK HELPFULLY TO THE CHINESE ABOUT HONG KONG IN PRIVATE, IF HMG WOULD FIND THIS USEFUL CALTHOUGH THEY REITERATED THEIR ANXIETY ABOUT MAKING PUBLIC STATEMENTS.) THEY ADDED THAT THE REQUEST WOULD NEED TO COME FROM HMG RATHER THAN
HKG.
2.
WE HAVE SAID THAT WE ASSUMED THAT THIS GROUND HAD BEEN COVERED VERY FULLY WHEN YOU VISITED TOKYO, BUT WE WOULD CHECK WITH YOU WHETHER YOU BELIEVED ANYTHING MORE NEEDED TO BE SAID.
BUT
3. THIS MAY HAVE BEEN NO MORE THAN EMBASSY FREE-LANCING. THERE IS CLEARLY AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO ENCOURAGE THE JAPANESE TO SPEAK UP WITH THE CHINESE IN PRIVATE, IF WE THOUGHT THAT THIS WOULD BE HELPFUL. IS THERE ANY MORE THAT NEEDS TO BE SAID TO THE JAPANESE AT THIS STAGE FOLLOWING YOUR TALKS IN TOKYO? OR SHOULD WE KEEP THIS OFFER UP OUR SLEEVE FOR THE MOMENT?
HURD
YYYY
ΜΑΙΝ
48
HKD
FED
NEWS D
RAD
~~~~
DISTRIBUTION
48
PUSD MR HUM
PAGE
1
CONFIDENTIAL
нко събр