TNAG-1356-FCO40-1797-Constitutional-development-in-Hong-Kong-1985 — Page 78

GRS 450

CONFIDENTIAL

FM PEKING

TO DESKBY 26113OZ FCO

TELNO 1731

OF 261023Z NOVEMBER 85

CONFIDENTIAL

INFO DESKBY 26113OZ HONG KONG

никош

IVED IN REGISTRY

2 7 NOV 1985

|

PA

PLGISTRY

AjB

Taken

27

DA

319

01/1

FROM WILSON

MIPT: HONG KONG AGREEMENT: SECOND MEETING OF THE JOINT LIAISON

GROUP: FIRST DAY: COMMENT

1. TODAY'S MEETING WAS A HIGHLY CHARGED ONE, A THROW-

BACK TO THE MORE DIFFICULT PHASES OF THE NEGOTIATIONS. KE'S

PERFORMANCE DOUBTLESS CONTAINED SOME HISTRIONICS BUT ALSO WE

THINK MUCH GENUINE FEELING, PARTICULARLY IN HIS SECOND INTERVENTION.

WE HAD THE IMPRESSION THAT HAD INSTRUCTIONS TO DELIVER SOME

HARD BLOWS AND THAT HE WAS CONSCIOUS ALL THE TIME THAT THE RECORD

OF THE MEETING WOULD BE STUDIED AT A VERY SENIOR LEVEL. WE ALSO

SENSED REAL CONCERN AND INDIGNATION AT WHAT THE CHINESE PERCEIVE

THE BRITISH AND HONG KONG GOVERNMENTS TO BE DOING.

2. KE ALMOST ENTIRELY IGNORED MY CAREFULLY WORDED OPENING STATE-

MENT. HE MADE IT CLEAR THAT THE CHINESE BELIEVE THAT WE ARE TRYING

TO IMPOSE A FINAL CONSTITUTIONAL STRUCTURE ON HONG KONG THAT WOULD PREEMPT THE DRAFTING OF THE BASIC LAW AND CONTINUE BEYOND 1997,

AND THAT THEY SEE A VARIETY OF RECENT STATEMENTS BY SENIOR

OFFICIALS IN HONG KONG AS SUBSTANTIATING THIS. HE

DISMISSED ABRUPTLY MY COMMENT THAT SUCH REMARKS WERE NOT STATEMENTS

OF GOVERNMENT POLICY.

1

3. KE DID NOT ATTEMPT TO CLAW BACK ANY OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL

CHANGES ALREADY IN PLACE (ALTHOUGH HIS REFERENCE TO PARA 2(A) OF

THE 1984 WHITE PAPER SHOWS THE DEPTH OF CHINESE CONCERN ABOUT THE

POSSIBILITY OF AN INDEPENDENT' HONG KONG). HOWEVER, HE ATTEMPTED

CONSTANTLY TO ESTABLISH A DISTINCTION BETWEEN THE DAY-TO-DAY

ADMINISTRATION OF HONG KONG, WHICH WAS EXCLUSIVELY HNG'S RESPONSIBILITY, AND CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT,

WHICH WAS NOT. I AS CONSTANTLY REBUTTED THIS. KE DID NOT SUGGEST

THAT THE 1987 REVIEW SHOULD BE POSTPONED. THE CHINESE AIM, HOWEVER,

IS CLEARLY EITHER TO EMASCULATE IT OR TO ENSURE THAT IT CONTAINS NOTHING THAT THEY HAVE NOT AGREED TO IN ADVANCE.

4. THE FACT THAT KE PICKED UP MY CONCEPT OF CONVERGENCE MAY BE A HELPFUL SIGN. AT PRESENT, THE CHINESE SEE THIS IN QUITE A DIFFERENT WAY FROM US, AND THEY ARE NOT GOING TO PREJUDICE THEIR STAND ON THE AUTHORSHIP OF THE BASIC LAW. I DO NOT HOWEVER ENTIRELY DESPAIR OF THE POSSIBILITY THAT THEY MAY BE PREPARED IN PRACTICE TO SHARE THEIR FORWARD THINKING ON POST 1997

CONSITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS.

CONFIDENTIAL

/s.