TNAG-1356-FCO40-1797-Constitutional-development-in-Hong-Kong-1985 — Page 122

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WHAT WE ACTUALLY HAVE IN MIND IS A DIALOGUE THROUGH XU JIATUN AND YOURSELF OR THE CHIEF SECRETARY. PERHAPS WE COULD DISCUSS IN

THERE HONG KONG WHERE AND HOW THIS IDEA SHOULD BE FLOATED. MIGHT BE ADVANTAGE IN WILSON SPEAKING ALONG THESE LINES WHEN IN

PEKING.

4.

WE WOULD NOT WISH BOYD TO ANTICIPATE THE EMBASSY'S REPLY TO THE MFA, SINCE THERE IS OTHERWISE A DANGER THAT THE MFA WILL BE BRIEFED TO GIVE AN ON-THE-SPOT REPLY, WHICH MIGHT NOT BE HELPFUL. HOWEVER WE SEE NO OBJECTION TO BOYD SAYING THAT WE SHALL BE REPLYING SHORTLY AND THAT WE HOPE THAT THE CHINESE WILL

HE COULD SEE OUR REPLY AS GOING SOME WAY TO MEET THEIR WISHES. THEN GO ON TO ENLARGE ON THE DANGERS OF DISCUSSING FUTURE CHANGES IN GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE IN THE JLG AT THIS STAGE, AND TO REFER TO THE POSSIBILITY OF AN INFORMAL DIALOGUE ON THE SUBJECT..

5.

WE HAVE NO OBJECTION TO YOUR INFORMING EXCO THAT WE AGREE TO THE PROPOSALS ON PRESS HANDLING (PARA 3 OF YOUR TELNO 2560), PROVIDED THAT YOU MAKE CLEAR THAT THE LINE WILL HAVE TO BE RECONSIDERED ONCE WE KNOW WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENS AT THE JLG.

HOWE

'HONG KONG AGREEMENT

LIMITED HD/HKD HD/PED

HD/PLANNING STAFF HD/PUSD

DEP HD/PUSD

RES 》 (MR WALKER)

PS

PS/MR RENTON

COPIES TO: (VIA ADR)

MR ROBERTS NEWS DEPT MR FIFOOT LEGAL ADVS MR- MARTIN ABST STAFF

CABINET OFFICE

MR MALLABY CABINET OFFICE MR DRC CHRISTOPHER

CABINET OFFICE SIR P CRADDOCK NO 10 DOWNING ST. MR WOOD LEGAL ADVISERS

PS/PUS

BIR W HARDING

MR WILSON

BIR J FREELAND

MR J CROWLEY PUSD

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