pa.
Con. Denot (Sen 2277
122777
MDHIAN/5357
(16
THIS IS A COPY
THE ORIGINAL HAS BEEN CLOSED UNDER
FOI EXEMPTION NO.....27( SECRET
SECRET
FM HONG KONG
TELNO 504
TO DESKBY 30093OZ FCO
OF 300824Z MARCH 93
HKS
RECEIVED IN RÉGISTRY
31 MAR 1993
DESK OFFICER
REGISTRY
INDEX
PA
Action Teken
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
FOR PS/MR GOODLAD AND RICKETTS (HKD)
PEKING FOR AMBASSADOR
CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT: EXCO, 30 MARCH
SUMMARY
APK.
1. THE COUNCIL ENDORSED THE IDEA THAT MR GOODLAD SHOULD REITERATE TO AMBASSADOR MA THAT WE STILL WISH TO HOLD TALKS AND THAT THEY SHOULD BEGIN SOON.
2.
PUBLIC STATEMENT ON INTRODUCTION OF THE REMAINING LEGISLATION
INTO LEGCO AGREED. TEXT AS IN MY TELNO 492.
DETAIL
3. I ASKED THE POLITICAL ADVISER TO RUN OVER DEVELOPMENTS IN THE LAST WEEK. EHRMAN BRIEFLY DESCRIBED THE CPPCC RESOLUTION, THE APPOINTMENT OF A SECOND BATCH OF HONG KONG AFFAIRS ADVISERS AND
THE LIKELY NPC RESOLUTION ON A PRELIMINARY WORKING ORGANISATION. A CNA COMMENTARY HAD EMPHASISED THAT CHINA WAS NOT REFUSING TO HOLD TALKS WITH US. BUT WE HAD HAD NO DIRECT CONTACT WITH THE CHINESE DURING THE NPC. THEY MIGHT STILL SEE ADVANTAGE IN HOLDING TALKS AS A MEANS OF EXERTING CONTROL OVER US BUT WE DID NOT KNOW WHAT THEIR PRESENT ATTITUDE MIGHT BE ON CONDITIONS FOR THE TALKS (I.E. ON THE STATUS OF HONG KONG REPRESENTATION AND POSSIBLY ADDITIONAL ISSUES).
4. I SAID THAT IT WAS ESSENTIAL FOR ME TO BE ABLE TO HOLD FRANK DISCUSSIONS WITH EXCO ON THE DIFFICULT QUESTIONS WHICH HAD FACED US IN THE PAST AND WOULD DO SO IN THE FUTURE. BUT THE TASK WAS MADE MUCH HARDER IF MEMBERS SAID THINGS PUBLICLY WHICH THE COUNCIL HAD NOT AGREED SHOULD BE SAID.
SOME THINGS SAID IN RECENT WEEKS HAD OBLIGED THE CHINESE SIDE TO HARDEN ITS POSITION AT CRUCIAL MOMENTS DURING THE TALKS ABOUT TALKS. I HOPED THIS WOULD NOT HAPPEN AGAIN.
5.
I SAID THAT UNLESS THERE WERE ENCOURAGING DEVELOPMENTS ON THE
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