CONFIDENTIAL
FM PEKING
TO DESKRY 21390OZ FCO
TELNO 150
OF 312600Z JANUARY 35
CONFIDENTIAL
INFO DESKAY 310630Z HONG KONG
53
TOP COPY
YOUR TELNO 207: CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN HONG KONG:
PRESS LEAKS
:
1. I TOO AM DISTURBED BY THE LEAK. GIVEN CHINESE SUSPICIONS OF CUN
PLANS AND MOTIVES, I SEE ADVANTAGE IN PRE-EMPTIVE ACTION. I THINK
THIS SHOULD BE DONE BY ME WITH ZHOU NAN. I SHOULD LIKE TO TAKE THE
FOLLOWING LINE ON THE TELEPHONE:
(A) ZHOU AND I AGREED DURING MR RENTON'S MEETING WITH JI PENGFET
THAT WE SHOULD KEEP IN TOUCH AND SPEAK TO ONE ANOTHER IF WE WERE CONCERNED ABOUT ANYTHING. I WAS CONCERNED THAT HE MIGHT HAVE DRAWN
THE WRONG CONCLUSIONS FROM AN ARTICLE IN THE SCMP AROUT THE 1937
REVIEW.
(B) THE SCMP ARTICLE WAS GARSLED. THE POSITION REMAINED AS DESCRIBED TO THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT ON MANY OCCASIONS. WE HAD NO (VO) PRECONCEIVED IDEAS. NO BLUEPRINT EXISTED.
(C) WE WERE COMMITTED TO THE 1987 REVIEW. THERE WAS AN EXTENSIVE BERATE IN HONG KONG ON THESE MATTERS. IT WAS NATURAL THAT THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT SHOULD BE KEEPING CLOSE TRACK OF THAT DERATE.
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2. I SHOULD PREFER NOT TO SPEAK OF VERY TENTATIVE INTERNAL
DISCUSSIONS**
'' OR TO REFER TO ANY CONSULTATIVE DOCUMENTS!! (PARAGRAPH 2(B) OF HONG KONG TELNO 312). SUCH REFERENCES ARE POTENTIALLY IN CONFLICT WITH OUR LIME THAT WE HAVE NO PRECONCEIVED
IDEAS.
3. I SUGGEST THAT HONG KONG SHOULD TAKE PARALLEL ACTION WITH NONA. I SHOULD LIKE TO SPEAK TO ZHOU TOMORROW. GRATEFUL THEREFORE FOR
INSTRUCTIONS DESKEY 01010OZ.
EVANS
HRK OL!!!
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
03 FEB 1986
62
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
LEGAL ADVISERS.
MR WOOD
MR PEIRCE
LEGAL ADVISERS
DESK OFFICER
INDE
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AB.
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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
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