R
CONFIDENTIAL
HICC 012/4
CONFIDENTIAL
FM PEKING
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 585
OF 270932Z APRIL
+
APK 1993
PA
TOP COPY Q DIST?
INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
INFO ROUTINE UKREP BRUSSELS
الة
37
010312
MDHIAN 8693
FOR HUM, AUSS
HONG KONG PERSONAL FOR DEPUTY POLITICAL ADVISER
MY TEL NO 554: CHINESE DISCRIMINATION AGAINST JARDINES
1 YOUR TELNO 340 PARA 3 SUGGESTED THAT WE (PERHAPS THE MINISTER) MIGHT FOLLOW UP INFORMALLY WITH THE MFA, AFTER SPEAKING TO MOFTEC. I AM HAPPY THAT WE SHOULD DO THIS, BUT NO OPPORTUNITY HAS YET ARISEN AND I THINK IT WOULD SEND THE WRONG SIGNALS FOR ME TO BROACH THE SUBJECT WITH JIANG ENZHU IN THE MARGINS OF THE HONG KONG TALKS.
2. WE SHALL LET YOU KNOW WHEN WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO TAKE ACTION, BUT CONTACTS WITH THE MFA WESTERN EUROPEAN DEPARTMENT ARE NOT FREQUENT AT PRESENT (NONE OF THEM IS ATTENDING THE HONG KONG TALKS) AND I THINK IT UNLIKELY THAT WE SHALL BE ABLE TO DO SO THIS WEEK.
3. IN ANY CASE I TAKE IT WE ARE AGREED THAT SUCH AN APPROACH WOULD BE MORE ABOUT KEEPING JARDINES SWEET RATHER THAN WITH ANY SERIOUS HOPE OF ACHIEVING ANYTHING POSITIVE (PARTICULARLY GIVEN LI PENG'S REMARKS ON OTHER PAPERS). SIR CHARLES POWELL IS WIDE OF THE MARK IN SUPPOSING THAT THE MFA WERE 'BEHIND THE INSTRUCTION TO CEASE BUSINESS WITH JARDINES (PARA 2(B) OF YOUR TUR).
4. AS FOR WHAT SHOULD NOW BE SAID TO SIR C POWELL, I SUGGEST THAT HE BE TOLD THAT WE INTEND TO SPEAK TO THE MFA AS SOON AS POSSIBLE: THAT THE MFA WILL NO DOUBT PASS ON WHAT IS SAID TO THEM: BUT THAT THEY ARE UNLIKELY TO BE VERY INFLUENTIAL IN THE MATTER.
MCLAREN
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