TNAG-1439-FCO40-1923-Constitutional-development-in-Hong-Kong-1986 — Page 58

GRS 1200

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TO DESKBY 25093OZ FCO

TELNO 434

OF 250704Z MARCH 86

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MKK ON

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

INFO DESKBY 26010OZ HONG KONG-

26 MAR 1986

NISTRY

PA

Act on Taken

MIPT:

REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT, THE BASIC LAW AND THE 1987 REVIEW.

1. GIVEN THE IMPORTANCE AND DELICACY OF THE WHOLE EXERCISE, BY FAR THE BEST WAY OF LAUNCHING IT WOULD BE THROUGH A MEETING BETWEEN THE SECRETARY OF STATE AND WU XUEQIAN. WU HAS MENTIONED HIS FRIENDSHIP FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE, AND THE HIGH REGARD IN WHICH HE HOLDS HIM, TO ME ON AT LEAST THREE OCCASIONS DURING THE PAST FEW MONTHS.

2. IT LOOKS FROM YOUR TELEGRAM NO.396 TO HONG KONG AS IF IT WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE TO MEET WU AT ANY TIME DURING THE WEEK WHICH BEGINS ON SUNDAY, 25 MAY. I WONDER, HOWEVER, WHETHER IT MIGHT BE POSSIBLE FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE TO OFFER TO GO OVER TO BRUSSELS FOR A MEETING WITH WU ON 22 MAY (A THURSDAY} OR 23 MAY. ALTHOUGH WU WILL BE MEETING COMMISSIONERS AS WELL AS

IT MEMBERS OF THE BELGIAN GOVERNMENT DURING HIS TIME IN BRUSSELS, LOOKS AS IF HE WILL HAVE TWO AND A HALF DAYS THERE BEFORE GOING ON TO LUXEMBOURG. (I WILL ASK MY BELGIAN AND LUXEMBOURG COLLEAGUES FOR DETAILS OF HIS PROGRAMME IN THEIR TWO CAPITALS.) WU'S PROGRAMME FOR THE WHOLE OF HIS TOUR REMAINS AS GIVEN IN MY TELEGRAM NOM363.

3. AN ADVANTAGE OF PROPOSING A MEETING IN A THIRD COUNTRY IS THAT THE PROPOSAL WOULD BE LESS LIKELY TO BE REJECTED ON THE GROUNDS THAT ITS ACCEPTANCE WOULD DISCONCERT THE GOVERNMENTS OF OTHER EUROPEAN COUNTRIES (EG FRANCE AND GERMANY) WHICH WU IS NOT DUE TO VISIT DURING HIS EUROPEAN TOUR. ALTERNATIVELY, IT MIGHT PERHAPS BE POSSIBLE TO PERSUADE WU TO SPEND 24 HOURS IN LONDON BEFORE ARRIVING IN HELSINKI ON 12 MAY. WE DO NOT KNOW HIS TRAVEL DETAILS BUT THERE ARE RUMOURS THAT HE WILL FLY TO HELSINKI BY SCHEDULED FLIGHTS VIA MOSCOW OR FRANKFURT.

4. IF IT TURNS OUT TO BE POSSIBLE FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE TO PROPOSE A MEETING WITH WU, I THINK THAT I SHOULD PUT THE PROPOSAL TO THE CHINESE WITHIN THE NEXT TEN DAYS. WU WILL BE VISITING JAPAN DURING THE MIDDLE OF APRIL (THE LATEST DATES WE HAVE ARE 11 APRIL TO 17 APRIL), AND IT WOULD BE BETTER IF I COULD DELIVER A MESSAGE TO HIM PERSONALLY THAN TO ZHOU NAN OR ANYONE ELSE. WU WILL HAVE TO APPEAR AT SEVERAL OF THE SESSIONS OF THE MEETING OF THE NATIONAL PEOPLE'S CONGRESS WHICH OPENS TODAY. BUT, ON PAST FORM, HE WILL NOT NEED TO APPEAR VERY MUCH IF AT ALL. NEXT WEEK.

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