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TELNO 248
OF 171009Z FEBRUARY 93
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INFO PRIORITY PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG, BTC HONG KONG
19
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171105
MDLIAN 4744
TAIPEI TELNO 39: TAIPEI CULTURAL AND INFORMATION CENTRE IN HONG
KONG
1.
IT IS TRUE THAT IT MAY BE SOME TIME BEFORE LEGISLATION ON THE 1995 ELECTIONS IS PASSED, ALTHOUGH IT MUST BE PASSED IN THIS SESSION (I.E. BY THE SUMMER) IF WE ARE TO BE ABLE TO MAKE THE NECESSARY ARRANGEMENTS TO HOLD THOSE ELECTIONS ON TIME. IT IS, HOWEVER, IMPOSSIBLE TO PUT A PRECISE DATE ON THIS. WE THINK THE JOURNALIST HU REFERRED TO IS VAN KAMENADE (DUTCH NOT BRITISH), WHO DID SEE DPA WHEN IN HONG KONG ON HIS WAY TO TAIWAN.
2. THERE IS INDEED NOTHING WE CAN DO TO PREVENT THE MOVE AND IF HU FACES A GENUINE PRACTICAL PROBLEM THEN THAT IS FAIR ENOUGH. BUT WE DO NOT SEE WHY THE MOVE NEEDS ANY KIND OF PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT AT ALL. THAT WILL UN-NECESSARILY ATTRACT CHINESE ATTENTION TO IT, WHICH IS BOUND TO BE UNFAVOURABLE. WE AGREE ATTC TAIPEI SHOULD SAY THEY SHOULD RETAIN THE EXISTING NAME FOR THE OFFICE. (THIS WOULD MAKE AN ANNOUNCEMENT EVEN LESS NECESSARY). BUT WE ARE NOT SURE WHY WE SHOULD SAY POSTPONE THE MOVE TO QUOTE THE END OF MARCH AT THE EARLIEST UNQUOTE. WHEN IS THE LEAS ON THE EXISTING PREMISES ACTUALLY DUE TO EXPIRE? PRESUMABLY THE TIMING OF THEIR MOVE WILL BE DICTATED BY THAT.
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