SECRET
SECRET
FM HONG KONG (AMENDED DISTRIBUTION)
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 600
OF 190722Z APRIL 93
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
TOP COPY
25
166302
MDHIAN 7543
Q DIST?
MKCC 012/4.
FOLLOWING FOR HUM, AUSS, FROM GOVERNOR
JARDINES
See 123
1. WE HAD A BRIEF WORD WHEN I WAS IN LONDON ABOUT SIR C POWELL'S LETTER TO RICKETTS OF 14 APRIL. I THINK WE CONCLUDED THAT SIR R MCLAREN MIGHT SPEAK TO MOFERT ABOUT THE UNHELPFUL INSTRUCTIONS WHICH THE CHINESE APPEAR TO HAVE ISSUED ON JARDINES.
2. SIR C POWELL HIMSELF SUGGESTED THAT THE ISSUE MIGHT BE RAISED IN THE TALKS ABOUT THE ELECTORAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR 1994/95. YOU WILL NO DOUBT EXPLAIN TO HIM WHY WE THINK THAT WOULD BE COUNTER- PRODUCTIVE. THE CHINESE WOULD CONCLUDE WITH GLEE, IF WE TOOK THAT COURSE, THAT THEIR ACTION AGAINST JARDINES WAS REALLY HURTING US AND THAT THERE WAS SIGNIFICANT LEVERAGE IN IT. THIS VIEW OF THE DANGERS IS SHARED PRIVATELY BY MARTIN BARROW AND NIGEL RICH (BARROW MADE THIS CLEAR TO EHRMAN ON 17 APRIL PROTECT).
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3.
YOU MIGHT EVEN WISH TO ASK SIR C POWELL WHETHER JARDINES BELIEVE A SEPARATE APPROACH TO MOFERT WOULD NOT RUN SOME OF THE SAME RISK. IF THEY ARE RELAXED ABOUT THAT I WOULD NOT WISH TO OBJECT. BUT AN ALTERNATIVE IS FOR THE EC COMMISSION TO TAKE THE LEAD. EHRMAN HAS MENTIONED TO BARROW THAT WE HOPE THEY WILL RAISE THREATS TO BRITISH AND FRENCH TRADE GENERALLY WITH THE CHINESE IN THE MARGINS OF THE 28/29 APRIL EC/CHINA JOINT COMMISSION. JARDINES MIGHT WANT TO TALK TO THE COMMISSION (E.G. SIR LEON BRITTAN) ABOUT THEIR PARTICULAR DIFFICULTIES.
PATTEN
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