SECRET
HKB 012/1 RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
17 MAR 1993
pa
p.m. Common 2004
Contempt
062664
MDHOAN 0214
85
REGISTRY
SECRET
FM FCO
TO DESKBY 16010OZ HONG KONG
TELNO 257
OF 151811Z MAR 93
INFO DESKBY 16010OZ PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG-
PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR FROM PRIVATE SECRETARY
YOUR TELNO 413, PEKING TELNO 471 AND UKREP JLG TELNO 44: HONG KONG: SECRETARY OF STATE'S OFFICE MEETING
1.
The Secretary of State held a discussion on 15 March about the way ahead with Mr Goodlad and officials. We were grateful for the contributions in TURS. The meeting was somewhat truncated by preparations for his oral statement in the House (we are faxing separately a transcript of this). But the meeting reached conclusions on a number of the points raised in TURS.
2. On our broad approach, the Secretary of State accepted that we should continue to try to hold talks with the Chinese side if possible, rather than relying purely on members of LegCo to sound out Chinese views on possible amendments. We knew that there were some on the Chinese side who favoured talks and it was right to try to keep channels open to them.
3.
The Secretary of State shared your view that it would not be right for us to take the initiative in going back to the Chinese immediately on official channels. He was not attracted by the idea of an early message from him to Qian, or of asking Sir R McLaren to renew his discussions with the MFA in the next few days, given that these were most unlikely to be productive. he was content to use reliable private channels to sound out Chinese thinking.
But
Part of the purpose of such informal contacts would be to give the Chinese side notice of your intention to
introduce legislation into LegCo once that decision was taken.
4.
The Secretary of State added that we should keep control of these contacts in our own hands rather than appointing someone
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