CONFIDENTIAL
HKD 021/2
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 1374
OF 21045OZ MAY 92
26
INFO PRIORITY PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
37
025732 MDLIAN 7147
Mc Connell Bill
ра
pa de 24/5
RECENT CHINESE VIEWS ON THE JOINT DECLARATION.
1. A NUMBER OF CHINESE OFFICIALS HAVE RECENTLY SAID OR HAVE BEEN QUOTED AS SAYING THAT THE QUESTION OF HONG KONG WAS A MATTER FOR BRITAIN AND CHINA BEFORE 1997 AND FOR CHINA ALONE AFTER 1997.
THIS OR SIMILAR STATEMENTS HAVE BEEN MADE BY AN NCNA OFFICIAL: IN
OFFICIAL DEMARCHE FROM THE CHINESE BOTH IN PEKING AND LONDON: IN A SPEECH BY AMBASSADOR XIA, HEAD OF THE PRC MISSION TO THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY: IN PRESS REPORTS OF CHINESE OFFICIAL STATEMENTS: AND IN COMMENTARY ARTICLES IN PRO-PEKING NEWSPAPERS. WE ARE FAXING A SUMMARY OF THE STATEMENTS WE HAVE PICKED UP TO RICKETTS, HKD, AND TO PEKING.
2. THE CHINESE ASSERTION IS OF COURSE WRONG. IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE JOINT DECLARATION, THE GOVERNMENT OF THE PRC WILL CONTINUE TO OWE HMG OBLIGATIONS BINDING UNDER INTERNATIONAL LAW FOR 50 YEARS AFTER 1997. IF HMG PERCEIVES THAT THE PRC IS ACTING TOWARDS THE
SAR IN WAYS WHICH ARE IN BREACH OF THE JOINT DECLARATION HMG WILL BE ENTITLED TO TAKE THEM UP WITH THE GOVERNMENT OF THE PRC AND TO SEEK REMEDIES, IN ACCORDANCE WITH INTERNATIONAL LAW. THERE IS ALSO THE FACT THAT THE JLG WILL CONTINUE ITS WORK UNTIL 1 JANUARY
2000.
3. AN ARTICLE HAS APPEARED IN THE SCMP (BY FRANK CHING, ON 15 MAY) COMMENTING ON THE FACT THAT THE CHINESE VIEW IS NOT IN CONFORMITY WITH THE JOINT DECLARATION AND QUESTIONING WHY THE
BRITISH HAVE NOT RAISED THE MATTER WITH THEM. THERE HAS AS YET BEEN NO REACTION TO THE ARTICLE, BUT IT IS QUITE POSSIBLE THAT IT MAY STIMULATE QUESTIONS, EITHER HERE OR IN LONDON.
4. WE NOTE FROM YOUR TELNO 338 THAT SIR J. COLES HAS ALREADY TOLD AMBASSADOR MA THAT THE JOINT DECLARATION WAS A MATTER FOR THE
BRITISH AND CHINESE GOVERNMENTS. WE HAVE CONSIDERED WHETHER A FURTHER DEMARCHE WOULD BE ADVISABLE, BUT HAVE CONCLUDED ON BALANCE THAT IT WOULD BE BETTER NOT TO ADD THIS EXTRA DEBATING
POINT TO OUR OTHER CURRENT ARGUMENTS WITH THE CHINESE.
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CONFIDENTIAL