TNAG-1462-FCO40-1988-Visits-by-Chinese-officials-to-the-UK--including-visit-by-Hu-1986 — Page 94

OCMIAN 3906

CONFIDENTIAL

OO HOKON

FM FCOLN TO HOKON

011530Z MAY

GRS 288

CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO

TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

TELNO 799

OF 011530Z MAY 86

AND TO IMMEDIATE PEKING

TOP COPY

See (56)

CONFIDENTIAL

33906 - 1

FOLLOWING PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR.

HONG KONG: MEETING WITH THE CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTER: 23 MAY

1.

I PROPOSE TO HOLD AN OFFICE MEETING TO PREPARE FOR MY

FORTHCOMING DISCUSSION ON HONG KONG WITH WU XUEQIAN. FOR A

NUMBER OF REASONS THIS COULD BEST BE HELD IN THE WEEK BEFORE THE

MEETING, ON 14 OF 15 MAY.

2.

I WOULD FIND IT MOST HELPFUL IF THE GOVERNOR COULD RETURN

TO LONDON FOR THAT MEETING. HIS ADVICE ON THE PRESENT AND FUTURE

STRUCTURE OF GOVERNMENT IN HONG KONG AND ON LOCAL ATTITUDES TO

THE 1967 REVIEW OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT WOULD BE VALUABLE,

AS WOULD INFORMATION DERIVED FROM THE HONG KONG PARTICIPANTS IN

THE BASIC LAW DRAFTING COMMITTEE. WITH THE MEETING HELD A LITTLE

IN ADVANCE OF MY VISIT TO BRUSSELS I HOPE THAT THE GOVERNOR'S

RETURN COULD BE PRESENTED WITH SOME PLAUSIBILITY AS A VISIT FOR

ROUTINE CONSULTATIONS.

3.

I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE COULD BE PRACTICAL DIFFICULTIES

FOR SIR R EVANS IN LEAVING PEKING AT THAT TIME, AND THE SIMULTANEOUS

RETURN OF THE GOVERNOR AND THE AMBASSADOR COULD WELL GIVE

RISE TO UNHELPFUL SPECULATION ABOUT CRISIS CONSULTATIONS ON HONG

KONG BEFORE THE MEETING WITH WU. WITH THESE FACTORS IN MIND I THINK

RI

HKKOGOA.

1.GISTRY

- 6 MAY 1986

16:

TRY

Taken

AgB 16.

CONFIDENTIAL

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