20-HUG-1990
12.02
BRITISH EI'IDHDQT FEKINULI
pol/HK/nuc-spkg
IN CONFIDENCE
JOZ 1900
r.wo
9. We supported these arguments when we called on Mr Chen Zengging on 11 June and again on 30 Tine. Nonetheless the Guangdong side rejected HKG's successive proposals of dates for a 7th round: 17-22 June and 8-13 July.
10. In response to a wish expressed by the Guangdong side for the next meeting to be at Delegation-level (rather than experts) HKG proposed that such a meeting should be held in early August and should be immediately followed by the 7th raund of supert talka: they envisage discussion of both the confidentiality question and on-site issues at these
meetings.
11. The Guangdong side have recently replied saying that they cannot arrange a meeting until mid-September and they continue to insist that even then the precondition for a meeting is prior HKG agreement to their confidentiality proposal. HKG understand that Guangdong are busy with a contingency exercise in mid-August, so they have
counter-proposed a meeting in the week of 23 August or the
following week.
12. We hope the Guangdong side will quickly agree to these or other early dates for such meetings. We do not believe it is reasonable to set preconditions for meeting.
for meeting. Ünly by face-to-face discussions can the two sides hope to increase
mutual understanding and trust and to bridge the gaps between them: HKG have made clear that they are prepared to put forward new, constructive suggestions in such discussions. It is already more than three months since the last meeting. Any further delay would be extremely regrettable.
BRITISH EMBASSY
PEKING
24 August 1993
IN CONFIDENCE
TOTAL P.08