7CZC
HPLAN 1666 PEHPAN 2211
CONFIDENTIAL
TT HOKON
CTT FCOLN
FM PEKIN TO HOKON
100212Z DEC
GRS 800
CONFIDENTIAL
FM PEKING
RY
15 DEC 1986
PA
Achan Taken
RESKOFFICER
INDE
TO TELELETTER HONG KONG TELELETTER 020/393/14
OF 1002122 DECEMBER 86
AND TO TELELETTER FCO
FROM: D G BLUNT ESQ, PEKING
FILE REF: 020/393/14
Guil & fex (527)
DATED: 9 DECEMBER 1986
TO: A L LAING ESQ, CLERK OF COUNCILS, HONG KONG COPIED TO: C LEEKS ESQ, HKD, FCO
EXCO: BEHIND THE SCENES
1.
CG 14/12
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TELELETTER OF 2 DECEMBER. I AM SORRY THAT PRESSURE OF OTHER BUSINESS HAS PREVENTED AN EARLIER REPLY.
2. WE WOULD NOT EXPECT THE CHINESE TO OBJECT PUBLICLY, AND PROBABLY NOT PRIVATELY, TO PUBLICATION OF A TEXT ALONG THE LINES OF THAT IN PARAGRAPH 2 OF TLUR. THE SITUATION HAS INDEED IMPROVED SINCE THE DAYS OF THE NEGOTIATIONS. NEVERTHELESS, THE CHINESE POSITION CONCERNING EXCO REMAINS RESERVED AND I WOULD NOT EXPECT THEM TO WELCOME SUCH A FULLSOME PIECE ABOUT EXCO'S ROLE IN THE NEGOTIATIONS AS THAT WHICH YOU HAVE IN MIND. THE POSSIBILITY CANNOT BE EXCLUDED THAT INTERNAL ANNOYANCE ABOUT SUCH A TEXT COULD COLOUR THE THINKING ON WIDER ISSUES OF THE MORE UNRECONSTRUCTED ELEMENTS ON THE CHINESE SIDE.
THE FACT THAT HKG'S HAND IN THE DRAFTING WAS NOT REVEALED WOULD BE PRESENTATIONALLY HELPFUL, BUT WOULD NOT DISSUADE THE CHINESE FROM BELIEVING THAT HKG HAD BEEN CONSULTED AND PROBABLY CLOSELY INVOLVED WITH THE BOOKLET'S PRODUCTION.
3. THAT SAID I WOULD NOT WISH TO PRESS YOU TO ABANDON YOUR TEXT IF
YOU FEEL STRONGLY THAT IT IS NECESSARY. I MYSELF WOULD PREFER FOR
THE REASONS IN PARAGRAPH 2 TO SEE A SHORTER TEXT WHICH MAKES ALL THE →→ ESSENTIAL POINTS COVERED IN YOURS BUT IN A MORE NEUTRAL WAY, PERHAPS AS FOLLOWS:
BEGINS:
THE COUNCIL AND THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG
IN THE AUTUMN OF 1982 THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL SHOULDERED THE IMPORTANT NEW RESPONSIBILITY OF PROVIDING THE GOVERNOR AND THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT WITH ADVICE ON THE NEGOTIATIONS ON THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG AND, AFTER CONCLUSION OF THE NEGOTIATING PROCESS, ON THE ACCEPTABILITY OF THE DRAFT JD. ARGUABLY THIS WAS THE MOST DIFFICULT AND DEMANDING TASK EVER TO BE LAID ON THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL SINCE, BY AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE BRITISH AND CHINESE SIDES, THE NEGOTIATIONS WERE CONDUCTED ON THE BASIS OF CONFIDENTIALITY.
IN ORDER TO COPE WITH THE IMMENSE VOLUME OF BUSINESS GENERATED BY THE NEGOTIATIONS, THE FREQUENCY OF COUNCIL MEETINGS WAS INCREASED TO TWO AND IN THE FINAL STAGES, TO THREE OR FOUR TIMES A WEEK. ADDITIONALLY MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL HAD A NUMBER OF MEETINGS WITH MINISTERS AND THE PRIME MINISTER, TRAVELLING WHEN NECESSARY TO LONDON FOR THAT PURPOSE.
FOLLOWING THE SIGNATURE OF THE JOINT DECLARATION, THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL HAS CONTINUED TO PROVIDE ADVICE TO HMG ON THE DISCUSSIONS IN THE JLG AND IN THE LAND COMMISSION. SPECIAL MEETINGS OF THE COUNCIL CONTINUE TO BE NECESSARY, AND EVERY OPPORTUNITY IS TAKEN FOR THE COUNCIL TO MEET WITH MINISTERS AND SENIOR FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE OFFICIALS ON FUTURE-RELATED MATTERS.
ENDS.
*
IF, SUBJECT TO THE FCO'S VIEWS, YOU DECIDE TO INCLUDE A TEXT ALONG THE LINES OF THAT IN TLUR (RATHER THAN THAT ABOVE), WE WOULD SUGGEST THE FOLLOWING AMENDMENTS:
(A)
(B)
1ST PARAGRAPH, 2ND SENTENCE: AMEND TO ....SINCE, BY AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE BRITISH AND CHINESE SIDES, THE NEGOTIATIONS WERE CONDUCTED ON THE BASIS OF CONFIDENTALITY." (TO REMOVE ANY POSSIBLE IMPLICATION THAT AGREEMENT WITH HKG WAS INVOLVED),
1ST PARAGRAPH, PENULTIMATE SENTENCE: SUBSTITUTE ....ULTIMATE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE NEGOTIATIONS ON THE DETAILED MATTERS UNDER DISCUSSION, THE SATISFACTORY....
(C)
х
2ND PARAGRAPH, 2ND SENTENCE: REPLACE FREQUENT BY A NUMBER OF
(0)
3RD PARAGRAPH, 1ST SENTENCE: AMEND TO ...TEXT OF THE DRAFT JD ON THE QUESTION OF HONG KONG....",
(E)
3RD PARAGRAPH, 2ND SENTENCE: AMEND TO HMS SUBSEQUENTLY DECIDED THAT THE JD SHOULD BE INITIALLED.....,
(F)
4TH PARAGRAPH, 1ST SENTENCE: AMEND TO ....THE EXCO HAS CONTINUED TO BE CLOSELY INVOLVED IN PROVIDING.....'',
SIGNED: D G BLUNT.
PEHPAN 2211
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