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INFIDENTIAL
2
COMMENTARY PREPARED BY THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT
1.
In recent days, Chinese officials
have referred to diplomatic exchanges
between British and Chinese Ministers in
early 1990.
2.
Diplomatic exchanges between
Governments are normally confidential.
But,
in the interests of openness and at the
suggestion of the Chinese side, the
Secretary of State has decided that these
messages should be made public. They make
plain the true nature of the discussions
between the two sides in 1990, and in
particular that there are no understandings
which the British side have breached.
The messages, the texts of which
3.
are attached, are:
First, a message from Mr Douglas
Hurd to Mr Qian Qichen of 18
January 1990. Mr Hurd expressed
the view that 20 directly elected
CONFIDENTIAL
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