TNAG-1334-FCO40-1766-Future-of-Hong-Kong-legislation-1984 — Page 11

GRS 300

CONFIDENTIAL

HKK 040/53. HKK 040/=

RECEIVED IN RE

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG 20035OZ DEC 34

TO IMMEDIATE F C O

TELEGRAM NUMBER 3336 OF 20 DECEMBER

INDEX

INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING

27 DEC 1934

DESK OCHOE

PA

JAN

joken

168

FOLLOWING FROM PRIVATE SECRETARY

PEKING TELNO 2043: SECRETARY OF STATE'S MEETING WITH WU.

2/1

see also

HKK 040/590

040/8.

1. ON THE WAY TO PEKING AIRPORT ZHOU NAN RAISED A NUMBER OF POINTS

WHICH HAD BEEN DISCUSSED WITH WU LAST NIGHT.

BASIC LAW

2. ZHOU NAN MADE PLAIN THAT THE CHINESE COULD ACCEPT NO IMPRESSION

THAT CHINESE SOVEREIGNTY WAS BEING INFRINGED IN THE SENSE THAT THE

BASIC LAW WAS IN ANY WAY A JOINT SINO-BRITISH OPERATION. HENCE

SENDING ADVICE THROUGH THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP WOULD NOT BE ACCEPT-

ABLE. ZHOU NAN REPEATED WHAT ZHAO HAD SAID ABOUT CONSULTING HONG

KONG OPINION BUT ADDED THAT THERE WERE, OF COURSE, MANY WAYS OF

TENDERING ADVICE PROVIDED THAT THE IMPRESSION OF INFRINGING CHINESE

SOVEREIGNTY WAS AVOIDED.

JOINT LIAISON GROUP

3. ZHOU NAN INDICATED THAT THE CHINESE WOULD ACCEPT PEOPLE WITH FULL

BRITISH CITIZENSHIP AS FULL MEMBERS OF THE BRITISH TEAM EVEN IF THEY

WERE WORKING FOR THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT. 3DTCS WOULD NOT BE

ACCEPTABLE AS FULL MEMBERS OF THE BRITISH DELEGATION BUT WOULD BE

INCLUDED IN THE EXPERT GROUPS.

4. ZHOU WENT ON TO SAY THAT IT WAS TIME TO BEGIN THINKING ABOUT THE

WORK OF THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP. THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT LOOKED

FORWARD TO RECEIVING SUGGESTIONS FROM THE BRITISH SIDE ABOUT TIME-

TABLE, AGENDA AND VENUE. THE SECRETARY OF STATE SAID THAT WE LOOK

FORWARD TO SIMILAR PROPOSALS FROM THE CHINESE.

NATIONALITY

5. ZHOU NAN RE-EMPHASISED THAT THE FORMULA WHICH WE HAD PROPOSED

COULD NOT BE ACCEPTED BY THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT. HE GAVE THE CLEAR

IMPRESSION THAT THE PHRASE BRITISH NATIONALITY'' CAUSED NO REAL

CONFIDENTIAL

/ PROBLEM.