TNAG-0629-FCO40-777-Effect-of-GATT-Multi-Fibre-Arrangement-on-Hong-Kong-negotiat-1988 — Page 34

GRS 190

PRIORITY

CONFIDENTIAL

121160161

16616/1.

2 1 55 98

171,

CYPHER/CAT A

MKK 12

FM F C O 150835Z

T..

DE YOU

CONFIDENTIAL

TO PRIORITY HONG KONG TELNO 711 OF 15 SEPTEMBER,

PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR FROM PUS.

MY TELNO 697

MFA.

1. I HAVE BEEN CONSIDERING HOW TO ADVISE YOU ABOUT YOUR POSSIBLE

RETURN. IT ISN'T EASY.

2. THERE WOULD CLEARLY BE LITTLE POINT INYOUR COMING BACK BEFORE

THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. THE PROBLEM HAS ONLY NOW GONE TO

MINISTERS, AND THERE CAN BE NO QUESTION OF THE PRIME MINISTER

FOCUSSING ON IT BEFORE THE WEEKEND, THE FACT THAT THE COUNCIL

WILL BE ASKED TO APPROVE THE BROAD LINES OF THE COMMISSION'S PROPOSALS ON 19/20 SEPTEMBER IS NOT IN PRACTICE A RELEVANT

CONSIDERATION SINCE-SO FAR AS WE CAN TELL- HONG KONG'S POSITION

WILL NOT IN PRACTICE BE MATERIALLY AFFECTED BY ANYTHING

THEN SAID. IN PARTICULAR, THE COUNCIL WILL NOT BE ASKED TO APPROVE THE BREAKDOWN OF FIGURES, WHICH THE COMMISSION HAVE NOT IN FACT YET PRODUCED, THEY WILL BE FOR SUBSEQUENT APPROVAL AT COREPER LEVEL.

3. ALTHOUGH IT WOULD BE GOOD TO MAKE A FIRM PLAN NOW, I THINK I MUST ASK YOU TO WAIT FOR A FURTHER TELEGRAM ON 20 OR 21

SEPTEMBER. BY THEN I OUGHT TO BE ABLE TO INDICATE WHICH WAY THE

MINISTERIAL WIND IN BLOWING ON THE SUBSTANCE OF THE PROBLEM.

MY PERSONAL GUESS, STRICTLY FOR YOUR OWN INFORMATION, IS THAT IT WILL PROVE ADVERSE.

OWEN

FILES

HD/HK & GD < HD/EID (E) PS/PUS

MR CCRTAZZI MR MURRAY MR FRETWELL

COPIES TO

MR MILTON HK & GD

CONFIDENTIAL

[