TNAG-1437-FCO40-1921-Constitutional-development-in-Hong-Kong-1986 — Page 36

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CONFIDENTIAL

11997

1

PEKING'S VIEWS ON THIS. WE COULD TAKE THE LINE THAT THE LEAK IS A GARBLED STORY WHICH APPEARS TO RELATE TO VERY TENTATIVE INTERNAL DISCUSSIONS WHICH HAVE AS YET REACHED NO CONCLUSIONS. WE COULD ADD, AS YOU SUGGEST, THAT KEEPING TRACK OF THE DEBATE IN HONG KONG IS NATURALLY A CONTINUOUS PROCESS, AND INVOLVES FREQUENT DISCUSSION WITHIN GOVERNMENT. ONE POSSIBILITY COULD BE TO USE THE NEWLY APPROVED LINK WITH NCNA TO GET THIS MESSAGE

ACROSS.

5.

WE AGREE WITH THE PRESS LINE YOU SUGGEST.

HOWE

OCMIAN 1997

HONG KONG AGREEMENT

LIMITED

HD/HKD HD/FED

HD/PLANNING STAFF

DEP HD/PUSD

HD/PUSD

RD (MR WALKER)

COPIES TO:- MR ROBERTS

NEWS DEPT

MR FIFOOT

MR WOOD

MR PEIRCE

LEGAL ADVISERS

LEGAL ADVISERS

ASSESSMENTS STAFF CABINET OFFI

MR MALLABY CABINET OFFICE

MR DRC CHRISTOPHER CABINET OFFICE SIR P CRADOCK NO 10 DOWNING STREET

PS

PS/LADY YOUNG

PS/MR RENTON

PS/PUS

SIR W HARDING

SIR J FREELAND

MR WILSON

MR CROWLEY

PUSD

CONFIDENTIAL