TNAG-1341-FCO40-17721-Visit-by-Margaret-Thatcher--UK-Prime-Minister--to-Beijing-fo-1985 — Page 161

CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

4. THE PRIME MINISTER HAD EMPHASISED THE BRITISH INTENTION TO PROCEED STEADILY BUT PRUDENTLY: SHE HAD NOT GONE INTO DETAIL. ZHOUL HAD RESPONDED THAT THE CHINESE DID NOT INTEND TO COMMENT ON CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN THE TRANSITIONAL PERIOD. IT SHOULD NOT HOWEVER ADVERSELY AFFECT STABILITY AND PROSPERITY. HE HAD STRESSED THAT THE CHINESE WANTED MORE HONG KONG PEOPLE INVOLVED IN THE ADMINISTRATION OF HONG KONG.

JOINT LIAISON GROUP

5. THE SECRETARY OF STATE HAD DISCUSSED THE COMPOSITION OF THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP WITH WU, MAKING IT PLAIN THAT THE BRITISH MEMBERS WOULD INCLUDE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS. THE CHINESE HAD INDICATED THAT IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT FOR THEM IF WE WERE TO APPOINT PEOPLE WHO THEY REGARDED AS CHINESE NATIONALS (1.E. BDTC'S OF CHINESE ORIGIN) THOUGH SUCH PEOPLE COULD TAKE PART IN EXPERT SUB-GROUPS. NO CONCLUSIONS HAD BEEN REACHED. WU HAD APPEARED TO ACCEPT THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S SUGGESTION THAT THE MATTER COULD BE SOLVED AS WE WENT ALONG.

CONSCRIPTION

6. THE SECRETARY OF STATE HAD MENTIONED THE CONCERN IN HONG KONC ON THIS ISSUE IN INFORMAL CONVERSATION WITH WU AND HAD SUGGESTED THAT IT WOULD BE HELPFUL IF THE CHINESE COULD SAY SOMETHING REASSURING IN PUBLIC WU HAD MERELY SAID THAT PEOPLE WERE BECOMING UNNECESSARILY WORRIED SINCE THERE WERE ONE BILLION CHINESE PEOPLE AS A SOURCE OF RECRUITS FOR THE PLA. IT WAS, HOWEVER, CLEAR THAT THE POINT HAD BEEN FIRMLY REGISTERED. IT WOULD NEED SENSISTIVE HANDLING IN FUTURE TO AVOID PROVOKING THE WRONG RESPONSE.

NATIONALITY

7. THE SECRETARY OF STATE HAD EXPLAINED TO WU THAT THE ONLY TITLE FOR THE NEW STATUS WHICH MET OUR REQUIREMENTS WAS ''BRITISH NATIONAL: HONG KONG. THE CHINESE HAD REACTED ADVERSELY, EXPLAINING THAT IN THEIR VIEW SUCH A TITLE WOULD CARRY THE IMPLICATION OF CONTINUING BRITISH RESPONSIBILITY FOR HONG KONG. THE SECRETARY OF STATE WAS CONSIDERING WHETHEP TO WRITE TO WU TO SET OUT OUR ARGUMENTS IN FAVOUR OF THE TITLE IN HOSE DETAIL BUT COULD NOT HOLD OUT MUCH HOPE THAT THE CHINESE RESPONSE WOULD SE DIFFERENT. WU, HIMSELF, HAD SAID CATEGORICALLY THAT ''BRITISH NATIONAL: HONG KONG WAS UNACCEPTABLE.

REGISTRATION

C. THE SECRETARY OF STATE HAD PROPOSED JOINT REGISTRATION OF THE AGREEMENT AT THE UNITED NATIONS. MU HAD SAID THAT THE CHINESE HAD NOT REGISTERED AGREEMENTS IN THE PAST BUT HAD UNDERTAKEN TO CONSIDER THE POSSIBILITY.

CONFIDENTIAL