1
4. WE HAVE NO INDICATION THAT THE CHINESE INTEND TO RECRECY THEIR DEMAND FOR AN OFFICIAL REPRESENTATIVE AT THIS TIME, AND THEY APPEAR SATISFIED WITH PRESENT ARRANGEMENTS,
6. THIS NEW DEPARTURE WOULD BE USEFUL FOR THEM IN ITSELF: BUT THE
QUESTION IS WHETHER THEY WOULD REGARD IT AS ELIMINATING AN UNDESIR ABLE FEATURE OF AN OTHERWISE BRC ADLY ACCEPTABLE SITUATION, OR ALTERNATIVELY, AS A NEW STEP TOWARDS DEMANDING AN OFFICIAL REPRESENTATIVE (PERHAPS DURING HUANG HUA'S VISIT TO LONDON). IT IS THIS LATTER ASPECT THAT WOULD CAUSE COMMENT OR WORRY HERE, ON THIS OCCASION BECAUSE I WOULD BE ACCORDING THE DIRECTOR PARITY OF TREATMENT WITH OTHER OFFICIAL REPRESENTATIVES. THE FACT THAT IT WAS OF NO LEGAL SIGNIFICANCE WOULD BE OVERLOOKED.
6. THE ALTERNATIVES TO STRAIGHTFORWARD ACCEPTANCE OR REFUSAL
ARE DISCUSSED IN PARAS 7 TO 9 BELOW.
7. SCLUTION 1: TO DECLINE, EXPLAINING THAT I BELIEVED THE TIME
WAS NOT YET RIPE FOR A SYMBOLIC GESTURE OF THIS SORT BUT LEAVING THE DOOR OPEN FOR THE FUTURE. I THINK THEY WOULD INTERPRET THIS AS UNWILLINGNESS 10 RECOGNISE A NEW DIMENSION IN OUR RELATIONSHIP, INCLUDING EFFORTS WHICH THEY, AS WELL AS WE, HAVE MADE TO SECURE
CONFIDENCE IN THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG FOR THE DIFFICULT YEARS
IMMEDIATELY AHEAD,
8. SOLUTION 2 #. TO OFFER THE CHIEF SECRETARY INSTEAND.
THIS IS
A NON-STARTER SINCE THE PRESENTATIONAL ASPECTS WOULD REMAIN AND MY DECISION NOT TO ATTEND, WHILE PRESENT IN THE COLONY, WOULD BE
INEXPLICABLE.
9. SOLUTION 3 TO EXPLAIN THAT A FORMAL CEREMONY RAISED PROBLEMS
OF PROTOCOL BUT THAT I WOULD LIKE TO ATTEND A RECEPTION WITHOUT
TO ASTS. THIS SEEMS THE ONLY REASONABLE ALTERNATIVE TO OUTRIGHT ACCEPTANCE, ACCORDING TO THE SENIOR MEMBER IT WOULD BE MUCH PREFERRED BY EXECUTIVE COUNCIL AND THE PUBLIC SINCE IT WOULD RAISE NO QUESTION ABOUT THE FORMAL STATUS OF THE NCNA OFFICE, BUT WOULD BE WELCOME CONFIRMATION OF FRIENDLY RELATIONS. HOWEVER:
(A) IT IS A NIGGLE:
:(B)
THE CHINESE MICHT ATTACH IMPORTANCE TO A CEREMONY
IDENTICAL WITH OTHER NATIONAL DAYS HERE:
(C) WE COULD BE MISSING AN IMPORTANT OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE
A GESTURE OF VALUE IN ESTABLISHING THE RIGHT ATMOSPHERE IN HONG KONG FOR EVENTUAL DISCUSSIONS ABOUT ITS FUTURE (WHEREVER AND WHENEVER THEY ARE HELD),
2 CONFIDENTIAL
/10. I
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