GPS 400
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG 21100OZ NOV 84
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 3555 OF 21 NOVEMBER
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING
(81)
100
TOP COPY
HKK 040/57
RECEIVEL
REGISTRY
2 1 NOV 1984
FICER
PA
гри
votr
PEKING TELNE 2765: HONG KONG AGREEMENT: SIGNATURE CEREMONY
1. TODAY'S TA KUNG PAO CARRIES A REPORT WHICH QUOTES XU JIATUN AS SAYING THAT THE DRAFT AGREEMENT WILL BE SIGNED IN THE MIDDLE OR LATER PART OF NEXT MONTH, AND THAT A DELEGATION COMPRISING HONG KONG FIGURES FROM ALL CIRCLES WILL ATTEND THE CEREMONY, AS WILL HONG KONG OFFICIALS AND ''MEMBERS OF THE TWO COUNCILS''. IN COMMENTING THE PAPER ADDS THAT THE DELEGATION WILL NUMBER **LESS THAT 100'' AND WILL BE BROADLY REPRESENTATIVE. THERE WERE SIMILAR REPORTS ON LAST NIGHT'S TV NEWS.
2. IT WOULD BE HELPFUL IF THE EMBASSY COULD BE INSTRUCTED TO SEEK EARLY CLARIFICATION OF CHINESE INTENTIONS REGARDING INVITATIONS TO THE CEREMONY IN THE LIGHT OF THIS REPORT. UNTIL WE HAVE A CLEARER IDEA OF THE TOTAL NUMBERS THE CHINESE HAVE IN MIND IT WILL BE DIFFICULT TO RESPOND TO THE QUESTIONS WHICH XHOU NAN PUT TO THE AMBASSADOR ON 15 NOVEMBER (PARA 2 OF TELEGRAM UNDER REFERENCE). IN PARTICULAR, WE CANNOT SAY HOW MANY PEOPLE WE WOULD WISH TO PROPOSE FOR ATTENDANCE AT THE CEREMONY, OR WHICH UNOFFICIALS WE WOULD WANT TO SUGGEST (THE TWO SENIOR UNOFFICIALS WILL CLEARLY HAVE TO BE PRESENT: WHETHER WE WILL WISH TO PROPOSE OTHERS WILL DEPEND TO SOME EXTENT ON THE SIZE OF THE
**DELEGATION' AS A WHOLE).
3. I NOTE THAT ZHOU NAN TOLD THE AMBASSADOR THAT THOSE STANDING BEHIND THE TABLE DURING THE SIGNATURE CEREMONY 'MUST BE OFFICIALS OF OUR RESPECTIVE GOVERNMENTS'', AND NOT OTHERS' (PARA 3 OF TELEGRAM UNDER REFERENCE). I ASSUME THAT HE WAS MERELY REINFORCING HIS EARLIER POINT THAT PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT OFFICIALS SHOULD NOT STAND WITH THE DELEGATIONS (PARA 8 OF PEKING TELNO 2736), AND THAT HE WAS NOT SEEKING TO
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CONFIDENTIAL
/EXCLUDE
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