CONFIDENTIAL
HKD 021/3
na us attitudes
+ vertel (I have copy it Magistay bas-'+)- 001712
MDHIAN 5409
12
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 2583
OF 290921Z OCTOBER 92
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG, WASHINGTON
9
YRTELNO 1535: LU PING'S VISIT TO THE UNITED STATES
1. I WOULD NOT WANT US TO RESTRAIN THE AMERICANS IN THE WAY SUGGESTED IN TUR. I THINK IT IMPORTANT THAT THEY TAKE A VERY FIRM LINE WITH LU PING.
2. THE ADVICE OF THE US CONSULATE-GENERAL SEEMS TO ME VERY MUCH ON THE RIGHT LINES. BUT THERE IS ONE POINT THAT IT WOULD BE HELPFUL IF THE US ADMINISTRATION COULD EMPHASISE MORE STRONGLY THAN THE CONSULATE-GENERAL HAVE SUGGESTED. THIS IS THAT THE PROSPECTS OF CHINA RETAINING THE MFN STATUS WILL NOT IN ANY WAY BE HELPED IF CHINA IS SEEN TO BE ROUGHING UP HONG KONG. THE CONSTITUTIONAL PROPOSALS I HAVE PUT FORWARD WOULD PRODUCE A MODEST, BUT NOT DRAMATIC, INCREASE IN DEMOCRACY. SYMPATHY FOR CHINA IN THE NEW CONGRESS WILL HARDLY BE INCREASED IF CHINA NOT ONLY REJECTS THESE PROPOSALS BUT REFUSES TO MAKE ANY COUNTER PROPOSALS OF ITS OWN. AND MY CREDIBILITY IN ARGUING FOR THE RETENTION OF CHINA'S MFN STATUS, WHICH I WILL PROBABLY HAVE TO SPEND A LOT OF MY TIME DOING IN 1993, WILL BE SEVERELY UNDERMINED IF THE CHINESE MAINTAIN THEIR PRESENT APPROACH, AND WILL BE SHOT TO PIECES IF I MERELY APPEAR AS A SURROGATE FOR PEKING.
PATTEN
YYYY
ΜΑΙΝ
68
.HK POLICY
HKD
PUSD
FED
LEGAL ADVISERS//MS BARRETT .AND MS BROOKS
DISTRIBUTION
77
NAD
RAD
PS
PS/MR GOODLAD
SIR J COLES
MR APPLEYARD
PAGE
1
CONFIDENTIAL