EXMENT PARSE HONG Numb.
1. PHE
RESTRICTED
2 -
for me,
course,
20 Leflec
I the Chinese side. But Let me spell out
wie wiech. the British side has been prepared Le
taik, so the womunun. ty cal
behaved
AP3
for itself that we
have
reasonably and sincerely 13
these discussions.
First, we have said to the Chinese side that
talk on
the basis of the Joint
we
are prepared to Declaration, the principle of convergence with the Basic Law and the relevant understandings and agreements reached between Britain and China. We consider our
proposals to be wholly compatible with these.
Secondly, we made plain that in any talks the British team would include the necessary Hong Kong officials with the relevant knowledge and experience, the game basis as other officials taking part in the
talkg. Both the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary have made this point publicly in the last 48 hours. Hong Kong officials have participated in past discussions with the Chinese side as members of the British team, including during the negotiations on the Joint Declaration and in the Joint Liaison Group.
on
We have also said to the Chinese side that Sir
Robin McLaren, the British Ambassador to China, would be
the British representative, supported by a team consisting of Michael Sze, the Secretary for Constitutional Affairs, William Ehrman, the Political Adviser, Peter Lai, the Deputy Secretary for Constitutional Affairs, and Peter Ricketts, Head of
the
Hong Kong Department in the Foreign and Commonwealth office. There would be no distinction between memberg
of the team from Hong Kong and from London.
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