TNAG-1443-FCO40-1927-Constitutional-development-in-Hong-Kong-1986 — Page 103

GRS 420

CONFIDENTIAL

FM PEKING

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELNO 2067

OF 300701Z OCTOBER 86

Confidential

HKK aly

RECEIVED IN AQUSTRY

31 OCT 1986

434

COPY Q DIST ?

PA

RECISTRY

Action Taken

See 404

DESK OFFICER

INDEX

INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG

417

PERSONAL FOR HUM HKD

PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR HONG KONG

NIT.

421

HONG KONG TELNOS 3502 AND 3516 AND MY TELNO 218 TO HONG KONG: INFORMAL EXCHANGES WITH THE CHINESE

1.

I AM SURE IT IS RIGHT THAT THERE SHOULD ALWAYS BE AT LEAST ONE 'OPPORTUNITY TO EXCHANGE VIEWS ON THE HORIZON. MOREOVER, I AGREE WITH THE GOVERNOR'S JUDGEMENTS THAT THE CHINESE HAVE DEMONSTRTED THEIR WILLINGNESS TO CONTINUE THE INFORMAL DIALOGUE ON ISSUES RELATING TO THE DRAFTING OF THE BASIC LAW AND THAT THEY ARE MORE

THAN HAPPY TO TALK TO THE GOVERNOR ABOUT SUCH ISSUES.

2. SO MUCH SAID, I AM NOT CONVINCED THAT WE NEED MAP OUT QUITE AS DETAILED A PROGRAMME FOR EXCHANGES BETWEEN THE GOVERNOR AND THE CHINESE AS THE ONE SET OUT IN HONG KONG TELNO 3516, AT ANY RATE AT

THIS STAGE. AMONG THE FACTORS WHICH I HAVE IN MIND ARE THE

FOLLOWING:

(A) IT IS QUITE POSSIBLE THAT THE SECRETARY OF STATE AND WU XUEQIAN WILL MEET DURING A VISIT OF THE LATTER TO THE UK DURING THE FIRST

HALF OF 1987 (MY TELNO 218 TO HONG KONG),

(B) WHEN I WAS DISCUSSING THE GOVERNOR'S VISIT WITH ZHOU NAN AT THE BEGINNING OF SEPTEMBER, ZHOU SAID THAT HE WOULD WISH ME TO BE PRESENT AT ALL THE GOVERNOR'S MEETINGS. AS HE PUT IT, I WAS AFTER ALL THE OFFICIAL REPRESENTATIVE OF THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT IN PEKING. I PLAN TO TAKE MY LONG POSTPONED MID-TOUR LEAVE DURING THE SPRING OF 1987. BUT I CANNOT PROPOSE PRECISE DATES TO HEADS OF MISSION SECTION UNTIL I KNOW MORE CLEARLY WHEN PRINCESS MARGARET IS LIKELY TO VISIT

CHINA.

IF SHE WERE TO BE INVITED IN APRIL INSTEAD OF MAY (AS IS ON THE CARDS), I SHOULD NEED TO LEAVE PEKING AT THE BEGINNING OF MARCH OR EVEN AT THE END OF FEBRUARY.

(C) I THINK THAT THE TIME HAS COME TO REEXAMINE THE POSSIBILITY OF INVITING ZHOU NAN TO VISIT HONG KONG. THERE ARE QUITE A FEW PROS

AND CONS WHICH NEED TO BE ARGUED OUT. IF, HOWEVER, IT WERE DECIDED TO INVITE ZHOU TO VISIT HONG KONG DURING THE COURSE OF 1987, ONE STRAND OF THE DIALOGUE COULD BE PURSUED BETWEEN HIM AND THE GOVERNOR

THERE.

Confidential

13.