TNAG-1332-FCO40-1762-Future-of-Hong-Kong-White-Paper-on-the-Joint-Declaration-1984 — Page 132

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DD HONG KONG 132330Z

GRS 328

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DESKBY 132330Z

FM FCO 12180OZ SEP 84

TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

TELEGRAM NUMBER 1822 OF 13 SEPTEMBER

INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING

2726

HILKOLDSO

RECEIVED IN REGIST

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14SEP 1934

DESK OFFIC

INGEX

brine imala

YOUR TELS NOS 2757 AND 2785: DRAFT AGREEMENT: PRESENTATION 1. WE AGREE THAT THERE ARE LIKELY TO BE MANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE WAY NN WHICH THE WORDING IN THE AGREEMENT WAS ARRIVED AT. ALSO AGREE THAT IT WOULD BE UNREALISTIC TO TRY TO PRETEND THAT THE TEXT IS AN IDEAL ONE. HOWEVER WE BELIEVE THAT IT WOULD BE VERY DANGEROUS TO REVEAL ON PARTICULAR POINTS WHAT WE HAD AIMED AT IN NEGOTIATIONS, AND WHERE WE HAD MET CHINESE RESISTANCE. AMONG OTHER THINGS, THE CHINESE WOULD BE BOUND TO COUNTER, PROBABLY WITH MISLEADING ASSERTIONS.

WE

2. WE DO NOT THINK THAT PRECEDENTS, SUCH AS THE TREATY OF ROME, PROVIDE MUCH HELP. IN THOSE CASES MANY OF THE DETAILS OF THE NEGOTIATIONS WERE WELL KNOWN IN PUBLIC ALREADY. IN GENERAL WE THINK IT WILL BE NECESSARY TO TAKE THE LINE THAT THE TEXT WE HAVE ARRIVED AT IS THE RESULT OF COMPLEX NEGOTIATIONS, THAT EVEN IF THIS OR THAT POINT MIGHT HAVE BEEN EXPRESSED BETTER OR DIFFERENTLY, NEVERTHELESS TAKEN AS A WHOLE IT IS AN EXTREMELY GOOD TEXT, AND THAT IT MUST BE VIEWED AS IT IS. THERE WOULD BE NO POINT IN RAKING OVER EXACTLY HOW IT HAD BEEN ARRIVED AT.

3. THE ABOVE LINE WOULD OF COURSE HAVE TO BE TAKEN IN CONJUNCTION WITH DETAILED EXPLANATION AS TO WHAT THE AGREED TEXT

MEANT AND IMPLIED.

4. WE ACCEPT THAT ONCE THE TEST OF ACCEPTABILITY GETS GOING THERE WILL NOT BE TIME FOR DETAILED CONSULTATION OVER RESPONSES TO QUESTIONS. NEVERTHELESS WE SHOULD BE GRATEFUL TO RECEIVE DETAILS OF THE LINE YOU ARE TAKING ON PARTICULAR POINTS.

5. WE ACCEPT THAT YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO PRINT AND PUBLISH A QUESTION AND ANSWER BOOKLET IN TIME. NEVERTHELESS WE STILL THINK IT WOULD BE VERY USEFUL TO HAVE SUCH A SET OF QUESTIONS AND

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