TNAG-1354-FCO40-1795-Constitutional-development-in-Hong-Kong-1985 — Page 22

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CONFIDENTIAL

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1 6 MAY 1985

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OO HONG KONG

GRS 529

CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO 151330Z MAY 85

TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

TELEGRAM NUMBER 683 OF 15 MAY 1985

AND TO IMMEDIATE PEKING

BRIEFING ON HONG KONG FOR PREMIER ZHAO'S VISIT

1.

Pin

WE ARE NOW CONSIDERING WHAT BRIEFING WE NEED TO PREPARE ON

HONG KONG FOR PREMIER ZHAO'S VISIT.

2. ON THE ASSUMPTION THAT WE HAVE RESOLVED OUR PROBLEMS OVER

THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP WE THINK THAT DISCUSSION OF HONG KONG IN

THE TALKS AT NO 10 CAN BE EXTREMELY BRIEF. THE PRIME MINISTER

PROBABLY NEED NOT DO MORE THAN EXPRESS PLEASURE AT RATIFICATION

AND LOOK FORWARD TO CLOSE COOPERATION IN THE JLG.

3. WE AGREE WITH YOU (YOUR TELNO 904) THAT SHE WILL NEED

DEFENSIVE BRIEFING ON REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT IN HONG KONG. WE

SHOULD BE HAPPY TO PREPARE THE BRIEF (A NEW FORMAT IS NOW

REQUIRED BY NO 10) BUT SHOULD BE GRATEFUL IF YOU WOULD LET US

HAVE A LIST OF POINTS WHICH ZHAO MAY RAISE AND OF PROPOSED

RESPONSES. ARE THERE OTHER SUBJECTS ON WHICH YOU THINK WE SHOULD

BRIEF THE PRIME MINISTER?

4.

FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S MEETING WITH WU WE ARE

CONSIDERING PROVIDING BRIEFING ON THE FOLLOWING.

A) GATT. THE FOLLOWING POINTS MIGHT BE MADE. A SUBJECT WE

HAVE PROPOSED FOR THE FIRST MEETING OF THE JLG COOPERATION

BETWEEN US ON THIS ISSUE CRUCIAL FOR HONG KONG'S TRADING

INTERESTS. EARLY AGREEMENT ON HONG KONG'S POST 1997 POSITION IN

THE GATT WOULD DO MUCH FOR BUSINESS CONFIDENCE. WE SHALL BE

PRESENTING A PAPER WITH DETAILED IDEAS PRIOR TO THE JULY JLG

MEETING. SUBJECT TO YOUR VIEWS, WE WOULD NOT INTEND TO PUT TO

WU OUR SPECIFIC PROPOSAL ON HOW HONG KONG MIGHT BECOME A SEPARATE

CONTRACTING PARTY AT AN EARLY DATE. IT IS UNCERTAIN WHETHER EXCO

WILL HAVE ENDORSED IT BY THEN AND THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT

WU MIGHT GIVE AN UNINFORMED REACTION, WHICH COULD THEN BE HARD TO

REVERSE.

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CONFIDENTIAL