CONFIDENTIAL
HKCC 021/1 RECEIVED IN F
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100376
MDHIAN 1948
STRY
MAY 1003
TOP C
Q DICTY
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CONFIDENTIAL
FM PEKING
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 714
OF 220837Z MAY 93
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
INFO PRIORITY UKREP JLG HONG KONG
PERSONAL FOR HUM, AUSS, FROM AMBASSADOR
WASHINGTON TELNO 1148:
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HONG KONG: POSSIBLE BILATERAL BETWEEN THE
SECRETARY OF STATE AND THE CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTER
1.
IT IS HELPFUL THAT THE SECRETARY OF STATE IS PREPARED TO CONTEMPLATE A MEETING WITH QIAN QICHEN IN ADVANCE OF THE SUMMER RECESS. DEPENDING ON HOW THINGS DEVELOP IN OUR TALKS WITH THE CHINESE ON ELECTORAL ISSUES, A MEETING COULD TURN OUT TO BE VERY USEFUL. BUT I DO NOT THINK WE SHOULD OFFER ONE NOW.
2.
I DISCUSSED THE PROS AND CONS OF AN EARLY MEETING OF FOREIGN
MINISTERS WITH THE GOVERNOR WHILE I WAS IN HONG KONG TO PREPARE FOR THE CURRENT ROUND OF TALKS. I SHARE THE GOVERNOR'S VIEWS RECORDED
IN HONG KONG TELNO 802. AS I SHALL BE REPORTING SEPARATELY, THERE ARE INDICATIONS THAT THE CHINESE MAY SOON BE READY TO MOVE ON TO
THE SUBSTANCE OF THE ELECTORAL ARRANGEMENTS IN 1994/95. WHETHER OR NOT THESE INDICATIONS PROVE CORRECT, THERE WOULD BE DISADVANTAGES IN MAKING AN EARLY PROPOSAL FOR A JULY MEETING IN PARTICULAR. THERE WOULD BE A STRONG RISK THAT THE CHINESE WOULD MARK TIME UNTIL
THEY HAD HEARD WHAT THE SECRETARY OF STATE HAD TO SAY. GIVEN THE PRESSURES IN HONG KONG, WE NEED TO GET ON WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF THREE OR MORE FURTHER ROUNDS OF TALKS BEFORE THE TOKYO WINDOW IN THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S DIARY, I DO NOT THINK WE SHOULD RUN THIS RISK.
3.
AGAINST THIS BACKGROUND I HOPE THAT THE POSSIBILITY OF A
MEETING WITH QIAN AT AROUND THE TIME OF THE TOKYO G7 SUMMIT CAN
BE LEFT OPEN IN THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S DIARY, LEAVING A DECISION UNTIL MUCH NEARER THE TIME. IN THE MEANTIME, WE WILL TRY TO FIND OUT DISCREETLY WHETHER QIAN IS LIKELY TO BE IN PEKING ON THE DATES
CONCERNED.
4.
IF THE SECRETARY OF STATE CONCLUDES IN THE LIGHT OF DEVELOPMENTS THAT HE OUGHT TO PROPOSE A MEETING WITH QIAN IN EARLY
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