(M) PARA 16 THE PHRASE ''IT ALSO PLACED A STRAIN ON THE PEOPLE
OF HONG KONG'' IS INADEQUATE. I SUGGEST SOMETHING ON THE
FOLLOWING LINES:
''IT ALSO CAUSED MUCH CONCERN AND ANXIETY AMONG THE PEOPLE OF
HONG KONG WHO WERE UNDERSTANDABLY ANXIOUS TO KNOW WHAT WAS BEING
NEGOTIATED FOR THEIR FUTURE.
(J) PARA 16 IT IS NOT ACCURATE TO SUGGEST THAT UNOFFICIAL
MEMBERS' ADVICE WAS LIMITED TO REFLECTING THE ATTITUDE OF THE
PEOPLE OF HONG KONG TOWARDS THE NEGOTIATIONS, CERTAINLY AS FAR AS
EXCO UNOFFICIALS ARE CONCERNED. THE PHRASE WERE GIVEN INFORMATION
ON'' IN THE 3RD SENTENCE OF THIS PARAGRAPH ALSO READS A LITTLE
ODDLY: IT MIGHT BE REPLACED BY **WERE KEPT FULLY INFORMED''
-
(K) PARA 17 UMELCO SHOULD BE SPELT OUT IN FULL. THE LAST
SENTENCE OF THIS PARAGRAPH SHOULD BE QUALIFIED, SINCE THERE IS
NO ABSOLUTELY AUTHORITATIVE WAY OF ENSURING THAT THE VIEWS
OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG CAN BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT. SUGGEST
INSERTING TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT POSSIBLE'' AT AN APPROPRIATE
POINT IN THE SENTENCE.
(L) PARA 18. IT IS NOT REALLY CREDIBLE TO PRESENT THE JOINT DECLARAT-
ION AS A ''TREATY''. IN THE LAST SENTENCE ''THIS'' SHOULD BE
SPECIFIED AS AN INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENT OF THIS KIND': AND AS
LONG AS IT IS NOT A TREATY IT SEEMS EXCESSIVE TO DESCRIBE IT AS
THE FOLLOWING LINE UNDERLINED HIGHEST FORM AND FOLLOWING TWO
WORDS UNDERLINED MOST SOLEMN POSSIBLE FORM OF COMMITMENT...
S
(M) PARA 19 THIS PARAGRAPH NEEDS EXPANDING. ALTHOUGH IT IS
RIGHT TO HIGHLIGHT THE CRUCIAL CLAUSES WHICH PROVIDE A FORMAL
LINK BETWEEN THE DECLARATIONS AND WHICH BIND ALL THE TEXTS TOGETHER,
IT WILL SEEM ODD IN HONG KONG IF ALL THE CLAUSES OF THE MAIN
AGREEMENT ARE NOT GIVEN SOME INTRODUCTION OR EXPLANATION. IN
THE LAST SENTENCE OF PARA 19, ''AFTER SHOULD BE AMENDED TO
t
READ AS SOON AS POSSIBLE'.
3 SECRET
((M)
(N) PARA 20.
.
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