TNAG-1258-FCO40-1591-Third-countries-and-the-future-of-Hong-Kong-1984 — Page 149

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still only rudimentary.

But they

5. The Chinese said they were ready to hear our views on practical arrangements for Hong Kong after 1997. maintained that only where 'British interęts' were directly involved could there be detailed discussions. They said that areas other than these were essentially China's internal affair. Some were matters specifically for the future Government of the 'Hong Kong China' SAR and thus beyond the scope of the current

negotiations.

6. There was some discussion of Hong Kong's legal and financial systems, on which we had given the Chinese informal working papers asa basis for discussion. The Chinese said that in keeping with their general proposals for Hong Kong, both systems would be

They stressed basically unchanged, but that colonially tainted' terms would have to be removed from legislation.

7. There were signs that the Chinese still see the road to further progress in the talks in terms of agreement on principles rather than substantive discussion of details and practicalities.

We stressed the need to tackle details if:*

(a) confidence and continuity in Hong Kong were to be sustained in the long-germ semi colon

(b) we, and subsequently Parliament, were to form a considered view of the overall package of Chinese proposals semi colon (c) both sides were to reach arrangements for Hong Kong which would fulfill the agreed common aim of the talks.

8. Although the Chinese showed limited understanding of our arguments, we managed to put over a fair amount of detailed material and to press the case for pragmatic considertion of

надом specific areas of administration. We also went some way towards

(the evident Chinese) dispelling doubts about our motives. We reiterted that we are

made

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arrangement

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sincerely prepared to examine whether armagemnts to ensure Hong

could

The

Kong's stability and prosperity can be built on) Chinese plan for Mongkong,

does not ding uite proposals. Our proposal to proceed on this bail

involved no (no) any (Denialist aspriations, we have home to sur

to

coralintator of th

(Cantory

Ov

nerow & we are now alassing hat dappay the nest And

pretioninay Thoughts are that me should conturine to press for detailed out sussions based on The Chamece proposals and to do what we can to

dispel residual donloth about our time intentions.