TNAG-1357-FCO40-1798-Constitutional-development-in-Hong-Kong-1985 — Page 153

OCMIAN 2473

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091615Z DEC

GRS 140

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Parry,

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1

384

378

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FM FCO

TO DESKBY 100100Z HONG KONG

TELNO 1945

OF 0916152 DECEMBER 85

INFO ROUTINE PEKING

HRK 011/1

RECEIVED

MISTRY

11 DEC 1985

YOUR TELNO 2753: VISIT TO HONG KONG BY STATE COUNCILLOR JI

PENGFEI

1.

2.

MINISTERS HAVE NOW AGREED THE TEXT OF THE SPEAKING NOTE.

IT WILL BE VERY MUCH FOR YOU TO DECIDE IN THE LIGHT OF

THE CIRCUMSTANCES HOW AND WHEN TO GET THESE POINTS ACROSS TO JI.

WHILE WE CAN SEE WHY EXCO ARE ATTRACTED TO THE IDEA OF HANDING A

SPEAKING NOTE TO THE CHINESE, IT DOES SEEM TO US THAT STARTING BY

HANDING OVER A WRITTEN STATEMENT WOULD MILITATE AGAINST THE KIND

OF INFORMAL DIALOGUE WHICH WE ARE SEEKING TO ENCOURAGE. THE MORE

THESE EXCHANGES ARE PUT ON FORMAL RECORD, AS IT INEVITABLY WOULD

BE NO MATTER HOW 'INFORMAL' WE SAY THE PIECE OF PAPER IS, THE

LESS FLEXIBLE THEY WILL BECOME.

HOWE

'HONG KONG AGREEMENT

LIMITED

HD/HKD HD/FED

HD/PLANNING STAFF HD/PUSD

DEP HD/PUSD

RES 》 (MR WALKER)

PS

PS/MR RENTON

PS/PUS

BIR W HARDING

MR WILSON

SIR J FREELAND

MR J CROWLEY PUSD PS/LADY YOUNG

COPIES TO: (VIA ADR)

MR ROBERTS NEWS DEPT MR FIFOOT LEGAL ADVS MR PEIRCE, ASST STAFF

CABINET OFFICE

MR MALLABY CABINET OFFICE MR DRC CHRISTOPHER

CABINET OFFICE

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

GOLDENTIAL

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