TNAG-1441-FCO40-1925-Constitutional-development-in-Hong-Kong-1987 — Page 254

CONFIDENTIAL

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CHINESE. THE MARGINS OF JLG MEETINGS ARE AT PRESENT LIMITED TO

SOCIAL OCCASIONS SUITABLE ONLY FOR THE DISCUSSION OF MINOR

MATTERS OF BUSINESS. WE COULD ATTEMPT TO SET UP A SEPARATE

MEETING BETWEEN WILSON AND KE. (THE CHINESE WOULD, WE THINK, BE

UNLIKELY TO AGREE TO A MEETING ON THIS TOPIC WHICH DID NOT

INVOLVE HEADS OF DELEGATION). BUT THIS WOULD BE HARD TO

DISTINGUISH FROM A FORMAL MEETING OF THE JLG. FURTHERMORE ITS

EXISTENCE, AND THE FACT THAT THE STRUCTURE OF GOVERNMENT HAD BEEN DISCUSSED, MIGHT WELL LEAK: PRESENTATIONALLY THIS COULD BE MORE DIFFICULT TO HANDLE THAN DISCUSSION IN THE JLG, BECAUSE OF THE

APPARENTLY CONSPIRATORIAL NATURE OF THE EXCHANGE. USING THE JLG

UMBRELLA FOR MEETINGS BETWEEN WILSON AND KE SEPARATED FROM FORMAL

MEETINGS OF THE JLG (AS OCCURRED RECENTLY IN BRUSSELS) IS ANOTHER

MATTER AND NOT OPEN TO THE SAME OBJECTIONS: BUT OF COURSE THAT

DOES NOT MEET THE PROBLEM WITH WHICH WE MAY NOW BE FACED.

4.

IN ALL THIS WE HAVE TO BEAR IN MIND WHAT WE HAVE SAID TO

THE CHINESE IN THE PAST ABOUT DISCUSSION OF REPRESENTATIVE

GOVERNMENT IN THE JLG. IT WAS AGREED AT JLGII THAT IF BOTH SIDES

SAW THE NEED FOR FURTHER JLG DISCUSSION THIS COULD TAKE PLACE

(PEKING TELNO 1760 OF 1985, PARA 5). WILSON HAD EARLIER SAID, AS

AGREED BY EXCO (YOUR TELNO 2648 OF 1985), THAT IF THE CHINESE

SIDE SAW A NEED TO RAISE THEIR CONCERNS AT ANY PARTICULAR FUTURE

JLG SESSION WE WOULD NOT RESIST THIS: OUR WISH TO HAVE INFORMAL

DIALOGUE DID NOT MEAN THAT WE WERE AGAINST DISCUSSION IN THE JLG

(PEKING TELNO 168 TO HONG KONG OF 1985).

HOWE

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PS

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PS/MR RENTON

CONFIDENTIAL ..

Ps Pus

SiR W. HARDING

MR WILSON