TNAG-1442-FCO40-1926-Constitutional-development-in-Hong-Kong-1986 — Page 194

3. THE AMBASSADOR REPLIED THAT THE DIALOGUE RESTED WITH THE DISCUSS- IONS THAT HAD TAKEN PLACE BETWEEN ZHOU AND MR. RENTON DURING HU YAOBANG'S VISIT. WE WOULD WELCOME CHINESE IDEAS ON THE SUBJECT AND PARTICULARLY THEIR REACTIONS TO THE THREE PAPERS. WE COULD THEN DISCUSS THE SUBJECT WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK AGREED, IE. CONTINUITY AND CONVERGENCE BEFORE AND AFTER 1997. CERTAINLY THE GOVERNOR WOULD HAVE THOUGHTS. BUT HE WOULD WELCOME CHINESE VIEWS ON THE THREE PAPERS AND ON WHAT HAD BEEN SAID IN JUNE.

4. ZHOU NAN REPEATED THAT HE WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF WE HAD ANY NEW

IDEAS AS A RESULT OF THE POINTS HE HAD MADE TO MR. RENTON. THIS

WOULD CONTRIBUTE TO HIS FORTHCOMING DISCUSSIONS WITH THE

GOVERNOR. THE AMBASSADOR REPLIED THAT THE GOVERNOR WAS ON HOLIDAY

AT PRESENT. HE WOULD ASK WHETHER ANY FRESH IDEAS HAD BEEN DEVELOPED

IN LONDON OR HONG KONG. BUT, HE REPEATED, HE KNEW THAT THE GOVERNOR

WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHETHER THE CHINESE THEMSELVES HAD ANY NEW IDEAS.

5. ZHOU SUGGESTED THAT WE SHOULD LEAVE IT THAT EACH SIDE WOULD LET

THE OTHER KNOW IF IT HAD NEW IDEAS TO OFFER.

ال

6. SUBSEQUENTLY, WANG JIAJI, WHO WAS ALSO PRESENT, SAID TO ME THAT IF ZHOU NAN'S MEETING WITH THE GOVERNOR WERE LEFT UNTIL 1 SEPTEMBER, THERE WOULD BE A VERY TIGHT PROGRAMME THAT DAY. MOREOVER, JI PENGFEI WOULD LIKE TO GIVE A DINNER FOR THE GOVERNOR, AND WE HAD ALREADY PROPOSED THAT THE AMBASSADOR SHOULD HOLD ONE ON 1 SEPTEMBER, THE LAST EVENING BEFORE THE GOVERNOR'S DEPARTURE. I SAID I WOULD HAVE TO CONSULT, BECAUSE THE GOVERNOR PLANNED TO SPEND 30 AND 31 AUGUST IN CHENGDE, AND ON PRESENT TIMING WOULD NOT ARRIVE BACK IN PEKING UNTIL 1914 ON THE SUNDAY EVENING. BUT I POINTED OUT THAT THE

MORNING OF 2 SEPTEMBER WAS FREE FOR MEETINGS.

COMMENT.

7 (A) ZHOU WAS VERY FIRM IN HIS EXPECTATION OF NEW IDEAS''

FROM US.

(B) WE DID NOT ASK FOR A SEPERATE CALL ON LU PING.

(C) THE GOVERNOR'S ETA ON 29 AUGUST IS 1810. MIGHT A 1900 DINNER

THAT EVENING BE SOMETHING WE COULD SUGGEST TO THE CHINESE TO

MEET JI'S WISH TO OFFER HOSPITALITY ?.

8. SEE MIFT.

THOMSON