February 1993
RECEIVED IN PRIVATE OFFICE
3 - FEB 100%
ACKD
Baroness Chalker
X
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Lord Shawcross GBE QC
60 Victoria Embarkmeit
London
ECHY QJP
foMinister FCO pape
Thank you for your letter of 28 January.
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I think we shall have to agree to differ on whether it would
have been better to hold consultations with the Chinese before
the Governor made the proposals public. I will only observe that recent experience with the course you advocate has not been
particularly promising. On the Court of Final Appeal we negotiated an agreement with the Chinese only to have if it rejected by the Hong Kong Legislature. On the New Airport we
signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Chinese after long
negotiations, but the Chinese have been very obstructive in its
implementation, and there is still no agreement on financing the
Airport.
-
As I have said before the Governor's proposals are just that
proposals and certainly not "concluded proposals". We have made
clear that we would welcome counter-proposals and indeed there
have been many.
There have been some indications that the
Chinese are taking a more moderate line in public. We have told
them repeatedly, on every occasion, that we are ready for discussions on any aspect of the proposals, without
preconditions. We are serious about that.
But,
disappointingly, we have not yet had a response.
shaw.chalk2.DEM
ROD
BARONESS CHALKER OF WALLASEY