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CONTINUE THIS PRACTICE. WHILE THE COUNCIL SHOULD ALSO AGREE IN BROAD TERMS THE INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE NEGOTIATIONS, WE COULD NOT SIT AT THE TABLE AND SHOULD LEAVE TACTICAL FLEXIBILITY TO THE NEGOTIATORS.
I THOUGHT IT IMPORTANT TO BE FRANK ABOUT WHAT WE
WOULD AND WHAT WE WOULD NOT SHOW THEM.)
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POIN
I SAID THAT I ALSO WANTED TO REPEAT A POINT I HAD MADE LAST WEEK. IT WAS TRUE THAT THE NEGOTIATIONS WOULD BE BETWEEN BRITAIN AND CHINA. IT WAS ALSO THEORETICALLY POSSIBLE FOR ME TO OVERRULE THE ADVICE OF EXCO, AND EVEN FOR US TO PASS LEGISLATION WITH LEGCO THROUGH ORDERS IN COUNCIL. BUT IT WAS POLITICALLY INCONCEIVABLE THAT WE WOULD DO EITHER. I WOULD NEED EXCO'S CONTINUING ADVICE AT EVERY STAGE AND LEGCO WOULD HAVE TO AGREE TO ANYTHING BRITAIN AND CHINA MIGHT AGREE. (I MADE THIS POINT BECAUSE OF THE CONTINUING FEAR OF SOME EXCO MEMBERS THAT HONG KONG WILL EVENTUALLY BE SOLD OUT.>
6. THE COUNCIL HAD IN FRONT OF IT PEKING TELNO 326, REPORTING THE AMBASSADOR'S MEETING WITH ZHAO JIHUA ON 5 MARCH. WITHOUT LEADING THE COUNCIL, I ASKED FOR THEIR ADVICE ON GAZETTAL.
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THIS IS A COPY
THE ORIGINAL HAS BEEN
CLOSED UNDER
FOI EXEMPTION NO....?...)