RESTRICTED
0373
MDHIAN 7143
REVERSING ANY UNILATERAL CHANGES TO HONG KONG'S POLITICAL SYSTEM AFTER 1997 DID NOT/NOT REFLECT CHINESE GOVERNMENT POLICY.
5. PAAL AND CARLA HILLS TOLD LU PING THAT CHINA'S HANDLING OF RELATIONS WITH HONG KONG BEFORE 1997, INCLUDING THEIR ATTITUDE TO DEMOCRACY AND THE NEED TO ENSURE A SMOOTH TRANSITION, COULD BE A MAJOR FACTOR IN INFLUENCING FUTURE U.S. ATTITUDES TO MFN. CARLA HILLS SAID THAT CHINESE ACCESSION TO GATT
GATT WOULD NOT/NOT AUTOMATICALLY MEAN THAT THE U.S. WOULD GRANT CHINA UNCONDITIONAL MEN STATUS. CLARK (STATE) TOLD LU PING THAT THE AMERICANS FULLY SUPPORTED MORE DEMOCRACY IN HONG KONG. IT WAS IMPORTANT TO MAINTAIN THE CONFIDENCE OF THE INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS COMMUNITY. THE AIRPORT PROJECT WAS A KEY ELEMENT IN THIS. CLARK SAID THE TONE OF PEKING'S RECENT PUBLIC COMMENTS WOULD DO NOTHING TO FURTHER CONFIDENCE AND STABILITY IN HONG KONG.
RENWICK
YYYY
ΜΑΙΝ
68
DISTRIBUTION
77
.HK POLICY
HKD
NAD
PUSD
FED
LEGAL ADVISERS//MS BARRETT
.AND MS BROOKS
NEWS D
PLANNERS
RAD
PS
PS/MR GOODLAD
SIR J COLES
MR APPLEYARD MR HUM
ADDITIONAL
9
CAOFF//SIR R BRAITHWAITE
CAOFF//MISS NEVILLE-JONES
CAOFF//MR SIBSON
CAOFF//MS D CORNER
CAOFF//MR CHARLTON PS/PM
NNNN
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