TNAG-1437-FCO40-1921-Constitutional-development-in-Hong-Kong-1986 — Page 23

GRS 400

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 348

OF 311205Z JANUARY 86

INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING

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CONDIDENTIAL

COPY

HRROU/L

RECEIVED

03 FEB 1986

BOTAY

22..

Conon Takee

3

YOUR TELNO 207 : CONSITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN HONG KONG : PRESS

LEAKS.

1. THERE IS NO NEED TO REMIND EXCO MEMBERS OF THE NEED TO PRESERVE

CONFIDENTIALITY. THEY WERE THEMSELVES VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE

APPARENT LEAK AT THEIR LAST MEETING AND ABOUT THE NEED TO MAINTAIN

CONFIDENTIALITY ON THESE MATTERS.

2. IF THERE WAS A LEAK, AND THIS IS BY NO MEANS CERTAIN (THE REPORT

ABOUT THE PAPER COULD BE AN INTELLIGENT AND WELL INFORMED

JOURNALISTIC WRITE-UP), THE ONE WAY OF DRAWING MORE ATTENTION TO THE

REPORT WOULD BE BY STARTING A FROMAL LEAK INVESTIGATION. LEAK

INVESTIGATIONS CONNOT BE CONDUCTED IN PRIVATE.

3. I STILL BELIEVE THAT IT WOULD BE IMPRUDENT, AND INDEED UNNECESSARY, TO SPEAK TO THE CHINESE ABOUT THE EXISTENCE OF THE EXCO DOCUMENT. THEY MUST REALISE THAT THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT 'S

WORKING ON THESE MATTERS AND IT WOULD BE NATIVE TO THINK THAT THEY ARE NOT DOING EXACTLY THE SAME. THE EXISTENCE OF SUCH STUDIES IS NOT INCONSISTENT WITH ASSURANCES THAT WE AND THEY HAVE NO

PRECONCEIVED IDEAS.

4. ALTHOUGH PEKING TELNO 103 SUGGESTS THAT THE AMBASSADOR WOULD NOT WISH TO REFER TO INTERNAL DISCUSSIONS'' OR 'CONSULTATIVE DOCUMENTS'', IF THE AMBASSADOR WERE TO TAKE THE INITIATIVE IN RAISING THE MATTER IT IS DIFFICULT TO SEE WHAT REPLY HE WOULD GIVE IF ASKED WHETHER SUCH DOCUMENTS EXISTED. NOR DO WE SEE ANY CONFLICT

AT ALL BETWEEN DOING THESE STUDIES AND SAYING THAT WE HAVE NO

PRECONCEIVED IDEAS.

5. IT IS OF INTEREST THAT ALTHOUGH NEARLY A WEEK HAS PASSED NO

CHINESE EITHER IN PEKING OR HONG KONG HAS PAISED WITH US THE SUBJECT OF THE EXCO DOCUMENT. SHAO TIANREN, THE MINISTER FOR FOREIGN

CONFIDENTIAL

/AFFAIR'S

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