RESTRICTED
RESTRICTED
FM CANBERRA
TO TELELETTER FCO
TELELETTER
OF 160425Z NOVEMBER 92
AND TO TELELETTER HONG KONG, PEKING
FROM: D G BLUNT,
CANBERRA
TO:
HKD, FCO
CC:
TCF FLEAR ESQ MVO, SPD, FCO
DPA, HONG KONG
CHANCERY PEKING
3
052544
MDTTAN 0748
на
int support
(Australia)
HKD 021/5
AUSTRALIA-HONG KONG: COMMENTS BY SENATOR EVANS
SUMMARY
1. COMMENTS BY SENATOR EVANS STRONGLY SUPPORTIVE OF THE GOVERNOR'S PROPOSALS FOR STRENGTHENING DEMOCRATIC STRUCTURES. CHINESE
IRRITATED.
DETAIL
2. YOU MAY ALREADY HAVE SEEN PRESS REPORTS OF SUPPORTIVE COMMENTS
BY THE AUSTRALIAN FOREIGN MINISTER IN HONG KONG ON 9 NOVEMBER. DFAT HAVE PASSED ME A COPY OF THE VERBATIM TRANSCRIPT. I WAS STRUCK BY HOW FORCEFUL AND FORTHRIGHT SENATOR EVANS WAS ON THIS
OCCASION. THE FULL TEXT FOLLOWS BY BAG. HIS REMARKS INCLUDE THE
FOLLOWING:
(A)
(B)
(C)
WHEN ASKED IF AUSTRALIA SUPPORTED THE GOVERNOR'S POSITION ON
HONG KONG: "'YES WE DO. QUITE EXPLICITLY. QUITE OVERTLY. WE
THINK GOVERNOR PATTEN IS RIGHT AND THAT HE SHOULD CONTINUE TO GO
FOR IT IN TERMS OF HIS PARTICULAR PACKAGE
..
1
THE GOVERNOR'S PROPOSALS IN NO SENSE AMOUNTED TO ''ANY KIND OF FUNDAMENTAL, HEAD-ON CHALLENGE TO THE TERMS OF EITHER THE JOINT DECLARATION OR MORE SPECIFICALLY THE BASIC LAW AND IT IS SIMPLY
NOT GOOD ENOUGH FOR THE CHINESE TO RESPOND BY SAYING THAT THIS AMOUNTS TO A VIOLATION OF THE BASIC LAW, THE JOINT DECLARATION AND ASSOCIATED AGREEMENTS. I DO NOT THINK ANYONE SERIOUSLY
BELIEVES THAT IT DOES.'
HE HAD TOLD QIAN QICHEN AND LIU HUAQI OF THE AUSTRALIAN POSITION
1
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