TNAG-1258-FCO40-1591-Third-countries-and-the-future-of-Hong-Kong-1984 — Page 181

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OO TOKYO

RR PEKING

GRS 574

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FM FCO 221800Z NOVEMBER 83

TO IMMEDIATE TOKYO

TELEGRAM NUMBER 428 OF 22 NOVEMBER

HKK040/5

RECEIVED IN HE 20NO

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INFO PEKING (PERSONAL FOR AMBASSADOR) HONG KONG (PERSONAL FOR

GOVERNOR)

PERSONAL FOR AMBASSADOR FROM DONALD

BRIEFING THE JAPANESE ON HONG KONG

1. ON 17 NOVEMBER SUNOSAKI, FIRST SECRETARY AT THE JAOANESE EMBASSY, CALLED ON HONG KONG DEPARTMENT SEEKING INFORMATION ON THE

TALKS ON HONG KONG. HE WAS GIVEN A GENERAL BRIEFING, IN THE

COURSE OF WHICH HE WAS TOLD THAT NEITHER SIDE HAD MADE ANY FUNDA-

MENTAL CONCESSIONS. IN THIS CONTEXT SUNOSAKI BROUGHT UP THE

FORTHCOMING VISIT OF HU YAOBANG TO JAPAN FROM 23-30 NOVEMBER. HE

SAID THE JAPANESE GOVERNMENT DID NOT WISH TO RAISE THE SUBJECT OF

HONG KONG WITH HU ALTHOUGH THEY WOULD PROBABLY INDICATE THAT THEY WERE WATCHING THE NEGOTIATIONS CAREFULLY AND HOPED THAT A

SATISFACTORY AGREEMENT WOULD BE REACHED.

2. AT LAST NIGHT'S DINNER AT THE JAPANESE EMBASSY, IN CONNECTION WITH THE CURRENT VISIT OF OKAZAKI FOR THE ANGLO-JAPANESE PLANNING TALKS, THE SUBJECT OF HU YAOBANG'S VISIT ALSO CAME UP WHEN SATOH, THE COUNSELLOR, ASKED ME ABOUT THE HONG KONG NEGOTIATIONS. 3. I SAID THAT WE WERE AWARE THAT CHINESE LEADERS WERE IN THE

HABIT OF DISCUSSING ASPECTS OF THE HONG KONG NEGOTIATIONS IN A ONE-SIDED WAY WITH VISITING DIGNITARIES, FOR EXAMPLE THE PRESIDENT OF THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION AND THE AUSTRALIAN FOREIGN MINISTER ON RECENT VISITS TO PEKING.IT WAS LIKELY THAT HU YAOBANG MIGHT ATTEMPT

IN TOKYO TO SPEAK IN THE SAME COLOURED WAY. HE MIGHT, FOR EXAMPLE, SAY THAT THE BRITISH WERE BEING STUBBORN ABOUT INSISTING ON

MAINTAINING BRITISH ADMINISTRATION IN HONG KONG AFTER L997 OR SEEKING SOMETHING LIKE CO-ADMINISTRATION. ALTERNATIVELY, HU MIGHT SUGGEST THAT WE HAD MADE FUNDAMENTAL CONCESSIONS AND THAT HAVING CONCEDED THE IMPORTANT POINTS OF PRINCIPLE TO THE CHINESE

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