TNAG-1441-FCO40-1925-Constitutional-development-in-Hong-Kong-1987 — Page 252

263

GRS 200

CONFIDENTIBAL

FM HONG KONG

CONFIDENTIALUP COPY

TO DESKBY 090800Z FCO

TELNO 1768

OF 09023OZ JUNE 86

ENFO IMMEDIATE PEKINNG

AKRON/

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

12 JUN 1986.

ANDE

LISTRY

t: Taken

-YOUR TELNO 1073: EXCHANGES WITH THE CHANESE ON STRUCTURE OF

GOVERNMENT

1. YOUR PARA 1. THANK YOU. WE WILL PLAN ACCORDINGLY.

2. ON PARA ↳ SHOULD MAKE ONE COMMENT ABOUT THE JLG GENERALLY.

AT HIS TRUE THAT WE HAVE TOLD THE CHINESE THAT FURTHER DISCUSSION ON

THE STRUCTURE OF GOVERNMENT ETC. CAN TAKE PLACE IN THE JLG BUT IT IKS

ALL A MATTER OF TIMING AND OF WHAT EXACTLY IS TO BE DISCUSSED

THERE. IF WE THINK THE TIMING IS WRONG (AS WE DO ON THRS SUBJECT

AS FAR AS JLG HY IS CONCERNED) WE SHOULD NOT PULL OUR PUNCHES (N

TELLING THEM SO. BY THE SAME TOKEN WE SHOULD NOT BE AFRAID OF MAKING

CLEAR TO THEM THE DANGERS OF GETTING INTO DISCUSSIONS OF ISSUES

LIKE SOVEREIGNTY OVER THE WALLED CINTYN THE JLG. YOU WILL SEE

FROM MY TEL ON THE ATMOSPHERE IN HONG KONG AT THE PRESENT TIME

(MY TELNO 1767) THAT THERE IS AN AUR OF PESSIMISM AND ''JIITTERYNESS''

HERE. WHAT WE NEED OUT OF JLG BY THIS ANNOUNCABLE, PRACTICAL ACHIEVEMENTS AND NOT HEADLINES SUCH AS ''CHINESE FORCE BRITISH TO

BRING REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT BACK TO THE JLG'' OR 'STAND-OFF -

OVER KOWLOON WALLED GĦTY''. THAT KIND OF RESULT WILL ONLY NUDGE

THE CONFIDENCE FACTOR A FEW MORE POINTS DOWN THE SCALE AND WE

SHALL BE DOING NEITHER THE CHINESE NOR OURSELVES ANY SERVICE F.

WE DO NOT BRING THAT HOME TO THEM.

YOUDE

LIMITED

HKD

FED

PS

(REPEATED AS REQUESTED)

PS/ MR RENTON

PS / PUS

SIR W. HARDING MR WILSON

CONFIDENTIAL

Q64.