Robert Adley Esq, MP
House of Commons SW1A OAA
NSID
HONG KONG
Thank you for your letter of 19 March.
adley 29.3
Like/you
Vare-riging
You are rig
to say
that it is no surprise to me that you are concerned about our -current differences with China over Hong Kong (I too am
concerned that, despite considerable efforts on our part, we
have been unable to persuade the Chinese to enter a dialogue,
However, do not for your analyses of an
why of It is certainly true that we have not sought deliberately to
damage our relationship with China. But I cannot agree with The three "explanations" you proposet
the first two are
certainly not correct and, although I cannot speak for China, I do not believe that your third choice accurately reflects their position.
You should by now have received a copy of my letter of 24 March to colleagues, which explains the background to the proposals which the Governor put to the Legislative Council
on 7 October. It also explains how the proposals fit with
the Joint Declaration and the Basic Law, and makes clear that
the exchange of letters I had with the Chinese Foreign Minister in 1990 did not result in an understanding between
us on the 1995 elections.
I note that you do not discount the intransigence of certain WTHE anna people in Peking as a factor in our present differences. I wonder if you give it sufficient weight. I know that the
Chinese maintain that our proposals are in breach of earlier agreements, but I am disappointed that you share their view. It is an opinion which I believe is not supported by the
tell us facts. We have invited the Chinese to indicate where they
believe our proposals breach the Joint Declaration, or the
your