COUNSELLOR
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HONG KONG: CONVERSI LON WITH LU PING, 12 JUNE
1.
te ir
Lu Ping was a fellow guest at the official opening of the Hong Kong International Clinic on 12 June. The Clinic is the brainchild of Dr Harry Fang, who was the HKMO's original partner in the Hong Kong and Macao Centre, and is housed in the centre: hence Lu's interest.
2.
The occasion was crowded and not one for serious conversation, but I had a few words with Lu, mostly in the presence of Sir S Y chung, another fellow guest. Lu sald he hoped there would be no repetition of the events which had occurred recently in Hong Kong. He referred specifically to the Legco Panel discussions, and to
Mr Goodlad's reported remarks, but not the BEC bill though it may have been in his mind too. On the Legco Panel he repeated his reported remark that their discussions were "meaningless" and complained that the Govenror had encouraged the Legco members. On Mr Goodlad he said that there were several different versions of what the Minister had said. Whatever it was, he had caused confusion in the public mind.
Why could not Mr Goodlad himself issue a clarification ? We should realise that all these matters were very sensitive, and ensure that nothing of the kind happened again.
3. I said that people in China really should not get excited about these various events, between which there was no connection. I repeated the standard line on the Legoo panel discussions, and on Mr Goodlad's remarks. What we now needed to do in the coming round was to get down to detail, and make progress. I hoped that we would not have to spend time on the matters Lu had raised. Lu said he shared my hope for progress in the talks. We were then interrupted.
Lu was personally friendly, greeting me warmly. it he said he hoped to see me soon. That was
no more than conventional politeness, but it worth my making a bid to call on hiz pefore going
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