TNAG-1356-FCO40-1797-Constitutional-development-in-Hong-Kong-1985 — Page 161

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MEETING, THOUGH THERE ARE A NUMBER OF POINTS IN THEIR PIECE OF PAPER WITH WHICH WE WOULD NOT AGREE. (IF QUESTIONED ON THIS WE WOULD SUGGEST THE EMBASSY SAY THAT WE HAVE NOT PREPARED A DETAILED CRITIQUE BUT THAT FOR EXAMPLE WE WOULD NOT AGREE THAT ANYTHING WHICH HAS BEEN DONE IN HONG KONG BY THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT HAS GIVEN

RISE TO A CERTAIN DISTURBING SITUATION'.)

(B) IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TERMS OF REFERENCE OF THE JLG, WHICH INCLUDE 'EXCHANGING INFORMATION ON SUCH SUBJECTS AS MAY BE AGREED BY THE TWO SIDES', WE WOULD BE PREPARED TO GIVE THEM AN ORAL BRIEFING ON THE CHANGES ARISING OUT OF

THE WHITE PAPER WHICH HAVE BEEN MADE IN HONG KONG. (WE

ARE WORKING HERE ON A SPEAKING NOTE WHICH WOULD DESCRIBE

THESE AND PUT THEM FIRMLY IN THE CONTEXT OF EARLIER

DEVELOPMENTS IN THIS SPHERE: WE WOULD DECLINE TO PRODUCE

ANYTHING IN WRITING ON GROUNDS OF LACK OF TIME).

(C) UK MINISTERS AND THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT ARE

COMMITTED TO A FURTHER REVIEW IN 1987. NEITHER HKG NOR

HMG HAVE ANY PRE-CONCEIVED NOTIONS ABOUT WHAT THE

CONCLUSIONS OF SUCH A REVIEW SHOULD BE. AT PRESENT WE ARE MAINLY ENGAGED, AS WE BELIEVE THE CHINESE ARE, IN LISTENING TO EXPRESSIONS OF PUBLIC OPINION IN HONG KONG.

WE HAVE NOT FOR OUR PART AT PRESENT IDENTIFIED ANY ISSUES

IN THIS CONTEXT WHICH CALL FOR CONSULTATION AND

SOLUTION' BY BOTH SIDES. BUT THE CHINESE SIDE WILL NO

DOUBT TELL US IF THEY HAVE.

WE THINK THAT THIS IS QUITE SUFFICIENT TO ESTABLISH THAT WE ARE

NOT ACCEPTING EVERYTHING IN THE CHINESE 'PIECE OF PAPER' EITHER

AS A STATEMENT OF FACT, OR AS A DEFINITION OF AN AGENDA ITEM.

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SO LONG AS WE EXPRESS WILLINGNESS TO LISTEN TO WHAT THE

CHINESE HAVE TO SAY, WE DO NOT THINK THAT WE SHALL BE SOLICITING A FORMAL ROW ON THE SUBJECT WITHIN THE JLG: CONVERSELY, WE ARE

SURE THAT WE SHOULD PROVOKE ONE BY A DIRECT REFUSAL TO ALLOW THE

CHINESE TO RAISE THE SUBJECT IN THE JLG, OR TO LISTEN TO WHAT

THEY HAVE TO SAY. IN FACT WE THINK THAT IF WE DID THIS, THE

CHINESE REACTION WOULD HAVE TO BE TO INSIST THAT THEY HAD A RIGHT

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