CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO
TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
TELNO 451
OF 111733Z MAY 93
CONFIDENTIAL
нисс
HKCC 021/1
RECET
STRY
MAT 1993
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR FROM RICKETTS HKD
OP COPY
Q DIST ?/
ра
(22
046732 MDHOAN 2716
6 mallifer
neetz
meei
YOUR TELNO 728 : HONG KONG : POSSIBLE MEETING BETWEEN THE SECRETARY OF STATE AND CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTER
1.
MANY THANKS FOR THIS PROMPT ACCOUNT OF YOUR VIEWS. I SHOULD LET YOU KNOW WHERE THINGS STAND AS OF THIS EVENING.
2.
THE ANSWER, IN BRIEF. IS THAT THINGS ARE IN MORE THAN THE USUAL STATE OF UNCERTAINTY. FIRST, IT IS STILL BY NO MEANS CLEAR THAT THE SECURITY COUNCIL WILL MEET ON 21 MAY (THE AMERICANS ARE NOW WOBBLING). SECOND, EVEN IF THE MEETING TAKES PLACE, WE UNDERSTAND (TELECON HUM/COX) THAT THE LATEST READ-OUT FROM THE CHINESE AT WORKING LEVEL IS THAT THEY ARE VERY UNENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT A FOREIGN MINISTERIAL LEVEL SECURITY COUNCIL MEETING, AND THAT QIAN MAY NOT ATTEND IF THE MEETING DOES TAKE PLACE (THERE IS THE ADDITIONAL COMPLICATION THAT THE PORTUGUESE FOREIGN MINISTER IS IN PEKING AT AROUND THE SAME TIME).
3. WE WONDER WHETHER IN PRACTICE QIAN WOULD STAY AWAY IF THE MEETING WENT AHEAD AND ALL OTHER MAJOR FOREIGN MINISTERS WERE ATTENDING. WE SHALL SEE. BUT IN THE MEANTIME, WE STRONGLY AGREE WITH YOU THAT IF THE MEETING TAKES PLACE, AND QIAN ATTENDS, IT WOULD BE WRONG TO MISS THE OPPORTUNITY TO HOLD A BILATERAL EVEN THOUGH THE TIMING IS AWKWARD IN RELATION TO THE
THIRD ROUND OF TALKS.
WE ARE THEREFORE RECOMMENDING THAT, IF THE MEETING LOOKS LIKE GOING AHEAD ON 21 MAY, WE SHOULD PUT IN A BID QUICKLY FOR A BILATERAL WITH QIAN. GIVEN THAT THE PROGRAMME ON 21 MAY WOULD BE CROWDED WITH SECURITY COUNCIL BUSINESS, WE ARE PROPOSING THAT THE SECRETARY OF STATE SHOULD ARRIVE IN NEW YORK IN TIME FOR A BILATERAL WITH QIAN ON THE EVENING OF 20 MAY. HENCE THE NEED TO GET IN EARLY WITH QIAN, TO ENSURE THAT HE CAN GET TO NEW YORK IN TIME. WE RECOGNISE THAT SIGNALLING OUR WISH TO HAVE A BILATERAL IN THAT WAY WOULD PROBABLY MEAN THAT WE DID NOT GET A REPLY
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CONFIDENTIAL