TNAG-1443-FCO40-1927-Constitutional-development-in-Hong-Kong-1986 — Page 203

GRS 500

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELNO 3502

OF 231005Z OCTOBER 86

INFO PRIORITY PEKING

011/1

417

See

421

CONFIDENTIAL

HKK

RECEIVE.

31 OCT 1986

DESK OFFICER INDEX

REUISTRY

PA

ion Taken

PERSONAL FOR HUM, HKD, FROM GOVERNOR

PEKING PERSONAL FOR AMBASSADOR

INFORMAL EXCHANGES OF VIEWS WITH CHINESE

1. THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S DISCUSSIONS WITH CHINESE LEADERS

DURING THE STATE VISIT TO CHINA HAVE DEMONSTRATED THEIR WILLINGNESS,

AND INDEED EAGERNESS, TO CONTINUE THE INFORMAL DIALOGUE ON ISSUES RELATED TO THE DRAFTING OF THE BASIC LAW THAT STARTED WITH THE

SECRETARY OF STATE'S MEETING WITH WU XUEQIAN IN BRUSSELS IN MAY. I AGREE WITH THE SUGGESTION IN PARA 4 OF PEKING TELNO 1959 THAT

IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO ENSURE THAT THERE IS ALWAYS AT LEAST ONE OTHER OPPORTUNITY TO EXCHANGE VIEWS ON THE HORIZON.

2.

THE MOST IMPORTANT ELEMENT IN THIS EXERCISE IS OF COURSE THE

CHANNEL BETWEEN THE SECRETARY OF STATE AND WU. I HAVE SUGGESTED SEPARATELY THAT IT MAY BE NECESSARY FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE TO

VISIT PEKING IN THE SUMMER OR AUTUMN OF 1987 TO RECONCILE ANY DIFFICULTIES ARISING OUT OF THE 1987 REVIEW AND/OR THE PARALLEL

BASIC LAW DRAFTING EXERCISE. IT WOULD, HOWEVER, BE WORTHWHILE TO LOOK CAREFULLY AT THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S TRAVEL PLANS AND WU'S

KNOWN MOVEMENTS IN THE FIRST HALF OF 1987 TO SEE IF THERE IS ANY

POSSIBILITY OF AN EARLIER INFORMAL MEETING BEING ARRANGED ON THE LINES OF THAT IN BRUSSELS IN MAY.

}

3. AS YOU KNOW, I SHALL BE VISITING PEKING AGAIN IN THE FIRST WEEK OF DECEMBER, 1.E. THREE MONTHS AFTER MY PREVIOUS VISIT. IM THE LIGHT OF THE USEFUL DISCUSSIONS THAT TOOK PLACE ON THAT OCCASION, AND THE GENERALLY POSITIVE REACTION IN HONG KONG TO MY VISIT, HAVE BEEN CONSIDERING WHETHER I SHOULD PAY MORE FREQUENT VISITS TO PEKING IN THE SAME WAY AS I VISIT LONDON REGULARLY. NOW THAT IT IS CLEAR THAT THE CHINESE ARE PREPARED TO TALK TO ME I SEE CONSIDERABLE MERIT IN MAINTAINING A CHANNEL OF COMMUNICATION WITH THEM THROUGH WHICH A NUMBER OF SENSITIVE ISSUES CAN BE INFORMALLY

DISCUSSED.

>

CONFIDENTIAL

14