00 HONG KONG
GRS 514
CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO 121602Z FEB 85
MKK 040/12
RECEIVE
15 FEB 1985
D
CONFIDENTIAL
6579 1
30
A
TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
TELEGRAM NUMBER 263 OF 14 FEBRUARY
HKK 049/2
AND TO IMMEDIATE PEKING
27
34
fur Leeks
14215/2
YOUR TELNOS 320-1 AND PEKING TELNO 182: HONG KONG AGREEMENT:
RATIFICATION
1.
26
IN LIGHT OF TURS I AGREE THAT WE SHOULD AIM FOR RATIFICATION
OF THE HONG KONG AGREEMENT IN THE LAST WEEK OF MAY.
2. IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE TO DELAY THE THIRD READING IN THE HOUSE
OF LORDS UNTIL LATER IN APRIL. I AM HOWEVER RELUCTANT TO DO THIS
BECAUSE TOO LEISURELY A TIMESCALE IN THE LORDS COULD PRODUCE AN
ADVERSE REACTION IN THE COMMONS, WHERE WE PUT THE BILL THROUGH
ALL ITS STAGES IN JUST THREE WEEKS. WE ALSO NEED TO BEAR IN MIND
THE POSSIBILITY THAT IF AMENDMENTS TO THE BILL ARE ADOPTED IN THE
HOUSE OF LORDS WE WILL NEED TO GO BACK TO THE COMMONS TO RESOLVE
ANY DIFFERENCES. WE NEED TO HAVE TIME IN HAND IN CASE THIS WERE
TO HAPPEN.
3. I THINK THAT A BETTER COURSE MIGHT BE TO TRY TO ESTABLISH
NOW WITH THE CHINESE A PROVISIONAL DATE IN THE WEEK BEGINNING 27
MAY FOR EXCHANGE OF INSTRUMENTS OF RATIFICATION. IF THE CHINESE
AGREED TO THIS WE WOULD PROPOSE TO STICK TO THE LEGISLATIVE
TIMETABLE SET OUT IN MY TELNO 232. ONCE A TENTATIVE DATE FOR
RATIFICATION HAD BEEN ESTABLISHED, WE THINK IT. LESS LIKELY THAT
THE CHINESE WOULD PRESS US TO BRING IT FORWARD.
IF YOU AND HE AGREE WITH THIS APPROACH, THE AMBASSADOR
SHOULD ARRANGE TO CALL ON ZHOU NAN TO DISCUSS THE DATE OF
RATIFICATION. HE SHOULD SAY THAT THE BILL STILL HAS A NUMBER OF
STAGES TO PASS THROUGH, BUT THAT IF THINGS GO WELL WE EXPECT TO BE
IN A POSITION TO RATIFY SOME TIME SHORTLY BEFORE THE END OF MAY. HE
SHOULD MAKE THE POINT THAT IF THERE WERE ANY UNEXPECTED PROBLEMS, WE
MIGHT HAVE TO LOOK AGAIN AT THIS. SUBJECT TO THAT, HE SHOULD
SUGGEST THAT WE SHOULD AIM NOW TENTATIVELY FOR A DATE IN THE WEEK
BEGINNING 27 MAY FOR EXCHANGE OF INSTRUMENTS OF RATIFICATION.
HE
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CONFIDENTIAL
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