1 October 1993
Martin Dinham Esq Government House HONG KONG
CONFIDENTIAL
02111
Foreign & Commonwealth
Office
London SW1A 2AH
Toke
Der Dan Nartin. Лава
SECRETARY OF STATE'S MEETING WITH QIAN QICHEN:
1.
PRESS BRIEF
We have discussed with the Secretary of State the general line which he plans to take with the press following his meeting with Qian Qichen tomorrow morning. He has asked us to draw up an opening statement for use with the press, together with some defensive points. We are also asked to ensure that the Governor is content with the line which he plans to take.
2.
I attach a draft of an opening statement and defensive points, for which I have drawn on some useful preparatory work done by Peter Ricketts. I should be most grateful if you could let us have your reactions by fax, deskby 011100Z. Where the opening statement is concerned, the Secretary of State thinks it would be right to strike a note of disappointment: it is after all public knowledge that the constitutional talks have made little headway and that the last JLG meeting achieved little. He would particularly welcome the Governor's steer on how far he should go in referring to (or hinting at) the need for us to go ahead unilaterally if it is impossible to achieve agreement in the
talks.
3. The defensive points represent a first guess at the questions which may be raised by a largely Hong Kong clientele. Here it would be particularly helpful if you could supplement these points from your own knowledge of the preoccupations of the Hong Kong press. Please feel free to adjust the line which we have taken if that is necessary to
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make it more consistent with the line which the Governor has taken in public.
CO Hum
eve
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cc: P. Ricketts, HKD, FCO
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Edit.1
1
MEETING WITH QIAN QICHEN:
OPENING STATEMENT
This has been a useful opportunity to discuss a range of issues with Mr Qian, and in particular to take stock of our continuing exchanges on Hong Kong.
When I last met Mr Qian in Peking in July, we agreed on the need to accelerate our talks on Hong Kong electoral issues. I had to tell him today that I was [frankly] disappointed Our negotiators have at the rate of progress since then. had five further rounds of talks, but much remains to be done. For our part, we have made major moves in an effort to meet Chinese concerns and bridge the gap.
- I emphasised that we are working for success in the talks. It remains our aim to secure agreement on arrangements for elections which are fair and open, and acceptable to the people of Hong Kong. There must also be agreement on acceptable criteria for the through train the objective criteria which members of the Legislative Council elected in 1995 must meet in order to serve on beyond 1997.
We agreed that both sides must make renewed efforts when
No-one is setting a negotiations continue during October.
Time is
deadline. But talks cannot go on indefinitely. passing [and it is now a matter of weeks rather than months]. Nor do the British government have infinite flexibility on the substance of the issue;
there is a
point beyond which we cannot go if elections are to be fair
and open.
I still hope that the differences on the electoral issues can be resolved. If not, we will have to take our
responsibilities under the Joint
responsibilities
Declaration for the administration of Hong Kong
-
- and put