TNAG-1258-FCO40-1591-Third-countries-and-the-future-of-Hong-Kong-1984 — Page 88

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TO PRIORITY PEKING (PERSONAL FOR AMBASSADOR) TELEGRAM NUMBER 845 OF 5 DECEMBER

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INFO PRIORITY WASHINGTON (PERSONAL FOR AMBASSADOR) AND HONG KONG FUTURE OF HONG KONG: BRIEFING OF AMERICANS

1.

DONALD (AUSS) BRIEFED WOLFOWITZ IN WASHINGTON ON 2 DECEMBER IN A SPECIALLY RESTRICTED SESSION AT THE STATE DEPARTMENT ON THE

CURRENT STATE OF OUR NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE CHINESE.

2.

AFTER SKETCHING THE BACKGROUND OF THE EARLIER ROUNDS OF TALKS, AND DESCRIBING CHINESE PROPAGANDA TACTICS, DONALD SAID THAT THE CHINESE KEPT INSISTING THAT THE WAY TO PROGRESS LAY IN PRIOR ACCEPTANCE OF THEIR PRINCIPLE THAT SOVEREIGNTY AND THEIR RIGHT OF ADMINISTRATION AFTER 1997 HAD TO BE ASSURED, AND THEY SEEMED RELUCTANT TO GET DOWN TO SUBSTANTIVE DISCUSSION OF DETAILS AND PRACTICALITIES. HOWEVER, WHILE CAREFULLY GUARDING OUR OWN POSITION OF PRINCIPLE AND WITHOUT PREJUDICE TO ANY FINAL AGREEMENT WE HAD INDICATED TO THE CHINESE OUR PREPAREDNESS TO SEE WHETHER WE COULD CONSTRUCT, ON THE BASIS OF THE CHINESE PROPOSALS, ARRANGE- MENTS WHICH COULD PROVIDE THE NECESSARY GUARANTEES TO GIVE CONFID- ENCE TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG AND TO INVESTORS THAT CURRENT FREEDOMS WOULD BE MAINTAINED. IF WE COULD WORK OUT SATISFACTORY ARRANGEMENTS TO ENSURE THE STABILITY AND PROSPERITY OF HONG KONG, THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT WOULD BE PREPARED TO MAKE AN APPROPRIATE

RECOMMENDATION TO PARLIAMENT.

3. ALTHOUGH WE HAD ASSURED THE CHINESE THAT WE DID NOT ASPIRE TO SEEK CO-ADMINISTRATION OF THE TERRITORY AFTER 1997, THE CHINESE REMAINED SUSPICIOUS OF BRITISH INTENTIONS. WE WERE TRYING HARD TO DISPEL THESE. OUR AIM WAS TO GET THE CHINESE TO CONCENTRATE ON THE PRACTICALITIES AND IN THE PROCESS TO EDUCATE THEM. IN THE COURSE OF THE LAST TWO ROUNDS, WE HAD HANDED OVER PAPERS CONTAINING OUR VIEWS ON SPECIFIC AREAS, SUCH AS, FOR EXAMPLE,

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