Page
RESTRICTED
RESTRICTED
FM HONG KONG
TO TELELETTER FCO
TELELETTER NFR
OF 15095OZ OCTOBER 93
INFO TELELETTER PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
istra
in Mons
154654
MDTTAN 2977
18! 10 p.a. 020/7.
р.а.
Sec. clp
ubis)..
FROM:
FOR:
JOHN ASHTON, DEPUTY POLITICAL ADVISER. RAJ BUNTEN ESQ HKD, FCO.
COPIED TO: MS J ROGAN, PEKING.
C PARTON ESQ, UKREP JLG HONG KONG.
нкс его/т
1093
CHEN ZIYING.
1.
YOU MAY HAVE SEEN FROM YOUR PERUSAL OF THE HONG KONG PRESS
THAT A BODY CALLED THE HONG KONG JOINT COMMITTEE FOR THE
PROMOTION OF THE BASIC LAW HAS BEEN ORGANISING AN EXHIBITION IN HONG
KONG DESIGNED TO INCREASE THE FAMILIARITY OF THE PUBLIC WITH THE
BASIC LAW. THERE WAS SOME SPECULATION THAT LU PING MIGHT ATTEND THE OPENING OF THE EXHIBITION, ON 13 OCTOBER; HE HAD REPORTEDLY BEEN INVITED.
2. IN THE EVENT, WE LEARNED FROM THE PRESS THAT LU HAD NOMINATED CHEN ZIYING (ONE OF HIS DEPUTY DIRECTORS OF THE STATE COUNCIL
HONG KONG AND MACAU AFFAIRS OFFICE) TO REPRESENT HIM. SINCE WE HAVE BEEN EXPRESSING OUR WILLINGNESS, IN PUBLIC AND IN PRIVATE, TO ENGAGE IN DIALOGUE WITH LU PING, THE GOVERNOR DECIDED TO RELAY TO CHEN A MESSAGE THAT IF CHEN WISHED TO CALL AT GOVERNMENT HOUSE, HE WOULD BE WELCOME FOR A CHAT. IN DUE COURSE, A REPLY CAME BACK VIA THE NCNA THAT CHEN WOULD BE VERY BUSY DURING HIS SHORT TIME HERE (FOUR DAYS ACCORDING TO HIS VISA APPLICATION) AND THEREFORE WAS NOT AVAILABLE
FOR 'OFFICIAL ENGAGEMENTS'.
3.
CHEN'S REGRETS WERE PERHAPS NOT SURPRISING IN VIEW OF LU PING'S
OWN APPARENT RELUCTANCE TO MEET THE GOVERNOR AT PRESENT. INCIDENTALLY, THE BASIC LAW EXHIBITION HAS NOT ATTRACTED MUCH ATTENTION. AS A MEDIA EVENT, IT WAS SWAMPED BY THE PUBLIC EXCHANGES OVER WHETHER OR NOT FAILURE TO REACH AGREEMENT IN THE TALKS WOULD BE
A BIG DEAL.
SIGNED:
JOHN ASHTON