TNAG-1439-FCO40-1923-Constitutional-development-in-Hong-Kong-1986 — Page 129

Redacted under FOI Exemption S 27 (1)

4. AGAINST THIS BACKGROUND, THE ACHIEVEMENT OF THE OBJECTIVES SET OUT IN HONG KONG TELEGRAM NO 848 WILL NOT BE EASY. A VERY GREAT DEAL

WILL DEPEND ON CAREFUL TIMING AND ON VERY CAREFUL PRESENTATION. I DEAL WITH THE FORMER IN MY IFT. ON THE LATTER, I AM SURE THAT WE MUST MAKE THE MOST OF THE ARGUMENTS WHICH FLOW FROM THE INTEREST (INDEED COMMITMENT) WHICH WE SHARE WITH THE CHINESE IN PRESERVING THE PROSPERITY AND STABILITY OF HONG KONG AND OF THE COMMONSENSE ARGUMENT THAT IT WOULD BE ABSURD TO HAVE TWO SHIPS SAILING FOR

ARRIVAL IN THE SAME FORT AT THE SAME TIME WITHOUT COMMUNICATION (1

APOLOGISE FOR CHANGING THE METAPHOR. BUT WANTED ONE WHICH WAS

DYNAMIC RATHER THAN STATIC). THE ARGUMENTS WHICH FLOW FROM THE JOINT

COMMITMENT ARE SET OUT IN BRIEF IN PARAGRAPH 4 OF HONG KONG

TELEGRAM NO 849. THEY WILL NEED ELABORATION. THE COMMONSENSE

ARGUMENT IS ONE WHICH I THINK WILL APPEAL TO THE CHINESE.

1

THEY KNOW, AS THEY KNEW DURING THE NEGOTIATION ITSELF, THAT WE HAVE MUCH TO CONTRIBUTE ABOUT WHAT IS MORE (OR LESS) LIKELY TO WORK IN HONG KONG AFTER 1997. AND THEY HAVE BECOME AWARE, AS A RESULT OF THE VISITS TO HONG KONG OF JI PENGFEI AND OF LU PING THAT HONG KONG IS A PLACE WHICH CANNOT BE EXPECTED

TO STAND STILL AS WELL AS BEING A PLACE IN WHICH THERE IS A VERY

WIDE SPECTRUM OF OPINION ABOUT POLITICAL AND CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUES. ON REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT, LU PING'S REMARKS TO SIR WILLIAM HARDING OVER DINNER ON 28 FEBRUARY WERE ENCOURAGING (THOUGH WE MUST

NEVER PIN ALL OUR HOPES ON WHAT LU SAYS OR FAILS TO SAY. HE IS

VERY INFLUENTIAL. BUT HE DOES NOT BIND AND LOOSE).

-

5. SO DO NOT DESPAIR. BUT I CANNOT EMPHASISE ENOUGH THE

IMPORTANCE OF OUR SAYING THE RIGHT THING TO ALL POSSIBLE

INTERLOCUTERS AT ALL STAGES OF WHAT IS BOUND TO BE A PROTRACTED

EXERCISE.

6. MY 1FT DEALS WITH THE MODALITIES OF GETTING, AND KEEPING, ALONGSIDE THE CHINESE. MY 4 FOLLOWING TELEGRAMS CONTAIN COMMENTS ON

THE FOUR PAPERS PREPARED BY THE GOVERNOR AND HIS ADVISERS.

EVANS

HONG KONG AGREEMENT

LIMITED

COPIES TO:- MR ROBERTS

Sä

HD/HKD

HD/FED

HD/PLANNING STAFF

DEP HD/PUSD

HD/PUSD

RD (MR WALKER)

MR FIFOOT

MR WOOD

MR PEIRCE

MR MALLABY

NEWS DEPT

LEGAL ADVISERS

LEGAL ADVISERS

ASSESSMENTS STAFF CABINET OFFIC

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

PUSO

-2- SECRET

SIR J FREELAND

MR WILSON MR CROWLEY