CONFIDENTIAL
Constit. Dept. (1)
(China)
043442
MDHOAN 1061
pr
MMB 01716 аль
CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO
TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
TELNO 1389
OF 181802Z SEPTEMBER 92
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
@
YOUR TELNOS 2353 AND 2354: CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUES: MESSAGE TO LU PING
1.
WE AGREE THAT THE AMBASSADOR SHOULD HAND OVER YOUR MESSAGE ON THE MORNING OF 26 SEPTEMBER EVEN THOUGH LU PING HIMSELF WILL NOT BE IN PEKING THAT DAY.
2.
WE ONLY HAD ONE THOUGHT ON THE DRAFT. IN THE VERSION WHICH REACHED US, IT ENDS RATHER LACONICALLY. INDEED WE WONDERED WHETHER SOME WORDS MIGHT HAVE BEEN DROPPED. AS NOW DRAFTED, THE MESSAGE DOES NOT MAKE THE POINT ABOUT A DEADLINE. THAT IS THE ONLY POINT AT WHICH IT DIFFERS FROM THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S PRESENTATION TO QIAN. BEARING IN MIND SIR R MCLAREN'S POINT THAT WE SHOULD NOT RUB THE CHINESE THE WRONG WAY BY BEING TOO DIRECT ABOUT A DEADLINE, WE WONDER WHETHER YOUR MESSAGE MIGHT END: ''I NOTE FROM ZHOU NAN THAT THE CHINESE SIDE, LIKE ME, WISHES TO CONCLUDE THESE DISCUSSIONS IN A TIMELY WAY. WE WILL NEED NEXT SPRING TO START MAKING THE NECESSARY PRACTICAL ARRANGEMENTS BY PUTTING PROPOSALS TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.
HURD
YYYY
ΜΑΙΝ
72
HK POLICY
HKD
PUSD
FED
LEGAL ADVISERS//MS BARRETT
.AND MS BROOKS
NEWS D
DISTRIBUTION
76
PLANNERS
RAD
PS
PS/MR GOODLAD
SIR J COLES
MR APPLEYARD MR HUM
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CONFIDENTIAL