FEBRUARY.
SECRET
663
MDHIA
928'
3. I HAVE GIVEN THOUGHT TO WAYS IN WHICH THE WAVERERS CAN BE BROUGHT ON BOARD. I CERTAINLY DO NOT WANT THEM TO FEEL THAT THEY HAVE BEEN FORCED TO SUPPORT A DECISION WHICH IS CONTRARY TO THEIR VIEWS. THE BEST WAY OF DOING THIS WOULD, I THINK, BE TO PROMISE THEM ANOTHER BITE AT THE CHERRY IF THERE WAS NO MAJORITY FOR ONE OR MORE ASPECTS OF THE PROPOSALS IN LEGCO AND LEGCO WERE UNABLE TO AGREE ON ALTERNATIVES, OR IF DISCUSSIONS STARTED WITH THE CHINESE AND WERE TO PRODUCE ACCEPTABLE ALTERNATIVES. WITH THIS IN MIND, I HAVE PREPARED THREE VARIANTS OF A STATEMENT WHICH MIGHT BE ISSUED FOLLOWING A DECISION ON 2 FEBRUARY. MY PREFERENCE IS FOR THE MINIMALIST VERSION, BUT THERE ARE TWO FALL-BACKS IN CASE EXCO PRESS FOR SOMETHING MORE.
WE ARE FAXING THE THREE
VARIANTS TO YOU AND TO PEKING.
4. ASSUMING WE REACH A DECISION TOMORROW, MY INTENTION IS THAT WE SHOULD ISSUE THE STATEMENT IMMEDIATELY. (IF WE DELAY, THE OUTCOME WILL LEAK). WE WOULD THEN HAND OVER A COPY OF THE SECOND BILL TO THE CHINESE BEFORE THE END OF THIS WEEK, AND GAZETTE IT ON 12 FEBRUARY.
5. YOU MIGHT CONSIDER THAT THE HANDING OVER OF THE SECOND BILL SHOULD BE ACCOMPANIED BY A MESSAGE FROM THE SECRETARY OF STATE TO QIAN IN ORDER TO KEEP THE TEMPERATURE AS LOW AS POSSIBLE. AS WE HAVE EARLIER DISCUSSED, THE MAIN PURPOSE WOULD BE TO TELL THE CHINESE THAT A LENGTHY PERIOD OF DEBATE IN LEGCO COULD NOW BE EXPECTED, THAT FEBRUARY WILL NOT BE HIGH NOON, AND THAT WE STILL REMAIN OPEN TO HOLD DISCUSSIONS WITHOUT PRE-CONDITIONS. IF YOU AGREE, CAN I SUGGEST THAT YOU SEND US A FIRST DRAFT FOR COMMENT? THERE MAY ALSO BE A CASE FOR SENDING A PARALLEL MESSAGE FROM ME TO LU PING. IF YOU AGREE WE COULD PREPARE THIS HERE USING AS A BASIS THE LETTER TO QIAN.
6. GRATEFUL FOR ANY OTHER COMMENTS YOU MAY HAVE ON THESE TACTICS AND ON THE DRAFT STATEMENTS BEING FAXED TO YOU, DESKBY 020030Z.
PATTEN
THIS IS A COPY
THE ORIGINAL HAS BEEN
CLOSED UNDER
FOI EXEMPTION NO. ...2..(.)
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