4. AS DURING MOST OF THE PROCESS OF NEGOTIATING THE AGREEMENT, THE CHINESE ARE INCLINED TO ATTRIBUTE UNWORTHLY MOTIVES TO US. ONE IS THAT WE ARE CONSCIOUSLY WORKING TO CREATE A HONG KONG IN 1997 WHICH IS EVEN MORE DIFFERENT IN POLITICAL STRUCTURE FROM CHINA THAN IT IS NOW. ANOTHER IS THAT WE ARE WORKING TO CREATE A CONSTITUTIONAL STATE OF AFFAIRS IN 1997 IN WHICH PRO-BRITISH'' ELEMENTS WOULD BE ABLE TO WIELD A DISPROPORTIONATE AMOUNT OF INFLUENCE. A THIRD (WHICH IS NOT CONSISTENT WITH THE OTHER TWO) IS THAT WE ARE ALLOWING A SMALL GROUP OF PEOPLE WITH POLITICAL AMBITIONS TO DICTATE TO US ABOUT THE CONSTITUTIONAL FUTURE OF HONG KONG.
5.
AMONG ALL THIS, THERE IS PROBABLY A PRETTY WIDELY HELD DISTASTE FOR THE NOTION THAT THE LEGISLATURE SHOULD GAIN ANY POWER IN RELATION TO THE EXECUTIVE GOVERNMENT IN HONG KONG BETWEEN NOW AND 1997. IN NO CHINESE SYSTEM HAS THE EXCUTIVE BEEN ACCOUNTABLE.
6. EVEN IF THIS ANALYSIS NEEDS ELABORATION AND REFINEMENT, AS I AM SURE IT DOES, BELEIVE THAT OUR FIRST TASK MUST BE TO ASSUAGE CHINA'S SUSPICIONS SEMICLNIE WORK TO REDUCE THE INFLAMMATION WHICH NOW SURROUNDS THE WHOLE SUBJECT IN THEIR THINKING. ONLY THEN WILL WE BE ABLE TO HAVE A USEFUL DIALOGUE WITH THEM ABOUT WHAT WE ARE REALLY UP TO AND WHY. THE GOVERNOR HAS MADE A VERY GOOD START IN DOING THIS DURING HIS CONVERSTATIONS WITH JP PENGFE. I BELIEVE THAT BOTH HE AND I HAVE MORE TO DO HERE SEMICLN AND SHALL ELABORATE ON THIS IN THE TELEGRAM WHICH I SHALL SEND TOMORROW. MEANWHILE, I OFFER THE FOLLOWING FORMULA AS OUR OPERATIONAL OBJECTIVE:
TO REDUCE THE SUSPICIONS OF THE CHINESE, AND TO PERSUADE THEM THAT OUR OBJECTIVES ARE NOT INCONSISTENT WITH THEIRS, WHILE AT THE SAME TIME GIVING THEM ONLY THE MINIMUM OF OPPORTUNITY TO ASK FOR THINGS (SUCH AS THE POSTPONEMENT OF THE 1987 REVIEW) WHICH WE COULD NOT CONCEDE TO THEM.
EVANS
:
*HONG KONG AGREEMENT
LIMITED HD/HKD HD/FED
HD/PLANNING STAFF MD/PUSD
DEP HD/PUSD
RES
PS
(MR WALKER)
PS/MR RENTON
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
PS/PUS
BIR W HARDING
MR WILSON
BIR J FREELAND
MR J CROWLEY PUSD PS/LADY YOUNG
CONFIDENTIAL
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