RESTRICTED
FM ATTC TAIPEI
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 15
113262 MDHIAN 7337
RESTRICTED
HKC 02015
RECEIVED IN
28
"RY
DESK OFFICER INDEX
REGISTRY
PA
Action Takan
TOP COPY
OF 280115Z JANUARY 93
AND TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
INFO PRIORITY BTC HONG KONG, PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
YOUR TELNO 69 TO HONG KONG AND HONG KONG TEL NO 1 TO ATTC TAIPEI: TAIWAN/HONG KONG RELATIONS.
1.
I HAVE REQUESTED A POSTPONEMENT OF MY MEETING WITH K.F.SHEU FROM 29 JANUARY UNTIL 10 FEBRUARY CALREADY CONFIRMED) SO AS TO GIVE TIME FOR CONSULATIONS IN HONG KONG AND ANY FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS FROM LONDON ON THE POSSIBLE VISIT TO TAIWAN BY THE HONG KONG DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF TRADE.
2. AS REGARDS THE PROPOSED TAIWAN INFORMATION OFFICE IN HONG KONG, THE LEVEL OF WHICH WE TAKE THIS FORWARD AND THE TIMING ARE INDEED, TRICKY. I HAVE NO STRONG VIEWS BUT I AM CONCERNED THAT THE ISSUE MIGHT GET BOGGED DOWN IN THE POST-ELECTION MORASS HERE. WE ARE IN EFFECT, DEALING WITH A LAME DUCK GOVERNMENT AND I SUSPECT THAT UNTIL A NEW GOVERNMENT IS PROPERLY IN PLACE (HOPEFULLY BY MID-FEBRUARY) NO ONE WILL BE PREPARED TO OVERTURN A DECISION WHICH WAS ALMOST CERTAINLY TAKEN AT CABINET LEVEL. JASON HU, AS HEAD OF THE GOVERNMENT INFORMATION OFFICE (GIO), WILL, I IMAGINE, BE THE PERSON TO EXECUTE THAT DECISION AND HE HAS WARNED US THAT THE TIMING IS CLOSE. HOWEVER, HE HAS ALSO TOLD ME THAT IT IS BY NO MEANS CERTAIN THAT HE WILL REMAIN AT THE GIO. THE CHAIRMAN AND/OR DEPUTY CHAIRMAN OF THE MAINLAND AFFAIRS COUNCIL (MAC) MAY ALSO BE MOVED AS PART OF THE RESHUFFLE. THE PROBLEM MAY, THEREFORE, BE ONE OF SIMPLY FINDING THE RIGHT PERSON TO TALK TO WHO IS PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION WHICH EFFECTIVELY, FLY'S IN THE FACE OF AN EARLIER CABINET DECISION. IN THE MEANTIME, THE CLOCK TICKS AWAY ON THE LEGCO DEBATE ON THE GOVERNOR'S PRO-DEMOCRACY PROPOSALS.
3.
I AM NOT SURE OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL PROCEDURES HERE, BUT I IMAGINE THAT THE ORIGINAL CABINET DECISION CAN ONLY BE CHANGED AT A FURTHER MEETING OF THE CABINET. IT SEEMS THAT THE PRESENT CABINET WILL NOT MEET AGAIN. IT WILL THEN BE UP TO THE NEW CABINET TO ALTER THE DECISION OF ITS PREDECESSOR. IF JASON HU IS, AS SEEMS LIKELY STILL IN THE CABINET (BUT NOT NECESSARILY AT GIO)
1
PAGE RESTRICTED