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IS NOW YOUR CONSIDERED ASSESSMENT OF THE PROBABILITIES.
(E) PARAGRAPH 32. IN THE LAST SENTENCE BUT TWO IT WOULD BE
CLEARER IF WE SAID 'WE HAVE MADE SOME PROGRESS IN EXPLAINING OUR
CONCERNS, AND OUR SUCCESS
(F) PARAGRAPH 33. AGAIN WE SUGGEST SALVAGING A BRIEF PASSAGE
FROM OUR ORIGINAL TEXT, WHICH MIGHT GIVE MINISTERS A USEFUL
INDICATION OF HOW IN PRACTICE THE WAY FORWARD MIGHT BE FOUND.
WE SUGGEST THAT THE PASSAGE AFTER THE FIRST THREE SENTENCES
SHOULD BE EXPANDED IN A NEW PARAGRAPH AS FOLLOWS:
'34. AT THIS STAGE WE CANNOT FORESEE PRECISELY IN WHAT
FORM PROBLEMS WILL ARISE OR HOW THEY MIGHT BEST BE TACKLED.
THERE ARE A NUMBER OF WAYS IN WHICH SIGNALS MIGHT BE GIVEN
IN PARALLEL BY THE BRITISH AND CHINESE SIDES TO INDICATE
THAT THEY HAVE MADE COMPATIBLE JUDGEMENTS, WITH NEITHER
SEEKING TO PREEMPT THE DECISIONS OF THE OTHER. THE CLOSER
OUR INFORMAL DIALOGUE WITH THE CHINESE ON ALL THE ISSUES
CONNECTED WITH 'CONVERGENCE' AND THE BASIC LAW, THE BETTER
WILL BE OUR CHANCES OF FINDING A WAY FORWARD WHICH WILL AT
LEAST REDUCE THE DIMENSIONS OF THE PROBLEMS INVOLVED AND
PERMIT AN OUTCOME WHICH CORRESPONDS TO THE INTERESTS OF
HONG KONG',
3. WE APOLOGISE FOR THE SUNDAY DESKBY MARKING, BUT WE ASSUME
THAT YOU MIGHT WISH TO DISCUSS THE PAPER WITH THE SECRETARY OF
STATE, OR AT LEAST TO PASS A COPY TO HIS PARTY. WE LOOK FORWARD
TO YOUR FURTHER COMMENTS ON 20 OCTOBER.
HOWE
OCMIAN 0243
LIMITED
HKD
MR. GILLMORE
3
CONFIDENTIAL
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