CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO
TO IMMEDIATE SINGAPORE
TELNO 273
OF 041732Z DECEMBER 92
AND TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
CONFIDENTIAL
par lut support ри
(Asia) 9/12 ADJ
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INFO IMMEDIATE WASHINGTON, ASEAN POSTS, TOKYO, SEOUL
INFO IMMEDIATE HANOI, CANBERRA, WELLINGTON, PEKING
2
135524
MDHOAN 5339
YOUR TELNOS 339 AND 340 (NOW REPEATED TO PEKING) : HONG KONG AND
CHINA
1
Thank you for this account of thinking in the Singapore Leadership on the Hong Kong issue.
2. You said that they would appreciate some insight into our thinking and our assessment of how we see
see the relationship with China developing. You will have seen the report of Ministers' discussions with Chinese Vice Premier Zhu Rongji in London in November (our telno 1410 to Washington). The next major exposition of the Government's views will be when Lady Chalker speaks in a Hong Kong debate in the House of Lords on 9 December : we will ensure that you and other addressees receive the text of her speech in the verbatim series. In the meantime, subject to any views from the Governor, you might wish to draw on the following points discreetly in discussion with senior contacts. Other posts may also find some of these points useful if asked about our policy:
the Singaporeans should not fall for Chinese conspiracy theories about the reasons for our policy on broadening democracy in Hong Kong. There has been no change in our policy. It remains firmly based on the Joint Declaration. The fact is that there were no consultations with the US over the formulation of the Governor's constitutional proposals made public in his policy speech of 7 October. The US naturally follows developments in Hong Kong closely, as do other major economic partners of Hong Kong. And there has been much support from the Administration and Congress for the Governor's proposals. But there was no pre-cooking.
on the question of whether the US will renew China's MFN status, our policy and that of the Governor is that withdrawal of
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