TNAG-1356-FCO40-1797-Constitutional-development-in-Hong-Kong-1985 — Page 186

GRS 400

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 2461

CONFIDENTIAL

+kk Orill ofile

OF 11101OZ NOVEMBER 85

256

INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING

12 NOV 1985

STAY

Talen

| AB 18

PEKING TELSNOS 1618 AND 1619: JOINT LIAISON GROUP SECOND MEETING AGENDA : REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT.

"

1. WE HAVE NOT HAD TIME TO CONSIDER THE IMPLICATIONS OF THIS PROPOSAL BUT IT WILL AROUSE CONSIDERABLE INTEREST WHEN WE INFORM THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL OF IT TOMORROW.

257

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Parry,

2. OUR FIRST REACTION IS THAT WE SHOULD NOT AGREE TO HAVE THE SUBJECT PLACED FORMALLY ON THE AGENDA FOR THE FORTHCOMING MEETING OF THE JLG. NOR SHOULD WE AGREE TO PROVIDE THE WRITTEN MATERIAL ON OUR PLANS FOR TABLING AT THE MEETING AS THE CHINESE PROPOSE. WE HAVE IN FACT NOTHING MORE TO TELL THE CHINESE ABOUT OUR PLANS FOR REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT THAN THEY ALREADY KNOW. ADDITIONALLY, IT WOULD BE THE WRONG TACTICS TO HAVE OUR PLANS LISTED FOR DISCUSSION WITHOUT ANY REFERENCE TO CHINESE PLANS IN RELATION TO THE BASIC LAW. IN PRACTICE THE TWO ARE INEXTRICABLY LINKED.

3. AT THE SAME TIME, RATHER THAN REBUFF THE APPROACH, WE SHOULD CONSIDER WHAT USE WE CAN MAKE OF IT TO DRAW THE CHINESE OUT FURTHER ON THEIR CONCERNS: TO REMOVE, IN AS FAR AS WE CAN, THEIR SUSPICIONS ABOUT OUR INTENTIONS: AND TO DRAW THEM INTO AN INFORMAL EXCHANGE ON HOW OUR PLANS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT AND THEIR PLANS IN RELATION TO THE BASIC LAW CAN EVENTUALLY BE MESHED TOGETHER (NOT NECESSARILY IN THE JLG).

4. THIS SUGGESTS A REPLY ON THE LINES THAT WE DO NOT THINK WE SHOULD ADD TO AN ALREADY OVERLOADED JLG AGENDA FOR THE NEXT MEETING. THE ISSUES HAVE IN ANY CASE BEEN DISCUSSED BETWEEN THE SECRETARY OF STATE AND FOREIGN MINISTER WU IN THE FIRST WEEK OF JUNE. BUT IF AMBASSADOR KE HAS PARTICULAR CONCERNS WHICH HE WOULD LIKE TO RAISE HE COULD NO DOUBT DO SO IN THE MARGINS OF THE JLG MEETING.

5. THESE ARE FIRST THOUGHTS. IF YOU HAVE ANY PRELIMINARY REACTION WHICH YOU WOULD LIKE TO CONTRIBUTE TO TOMMORROW'S DISCUSSION PLEASE LET US HAVE THEM DESKBY 12010OZ.

YOUDE

HONG KONG AGREEMENT: RESTRICTED

LIMITED

HD/HKD

HD/FED

RESEARCH D (FE)

D/HD PUSD

MR WILSON

COPIES TO:

MR FIFOOT, LEGAL ADVISERS MR WOOD LEGAL ADVISERS

CONFIDENTIAL