TNAG-1596-FCO40-2181-Constitutional-development-in-Hong-Kong-1988 — Page 33

CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO

TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

TELNO 2311

OF 01160OZ SEPTEMBER 87

AND TO IMMEDIATE PEKING

нив Hub onli

RECEIVEUN HE

02 SEP 1937

023112

MDHOAN 0441

73

се

Se

See 13

HONG KONG TEL NOS 3246-7: BASIC LAW: GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE: TRILOGY IV

CONVERGENCE OF

1. WE TOO FIND THIS SLIGHTLY ODD. SUBJECT TO YOUR VIEWS WE SEE SOME ADVANTAGE IN SPEAKING TO THE CHINESE EARLY TO DISPEL ANY IMPRESSION THAT THE LEAK MAY HAVE ORIGINATED FROM THE BRITISH SIDE.

2. IF YOU AGREE, GRATEFUL IF PEKING WOULD TAKE AN EARLY OPPORT- UNITY TO MAKE THE FOLLOWING POINTS TO THE MFA:-

(A) AS FAR AS WE CAN DETERMINE, THE SOURCE OF THE WEN WEI PO

ARTICLE WAS NOT (NOT) AN HKG OFFICIAL:

(8) WE GREATLY VALUE OUR CURRENT DIALOGUE WITH THE CHINESE SIDE

ON ISSUES OF CONVERGENCE, AND HOPE THAT THIS CAN CONTINUE AS FAR AS POSSIBLE ON A CONFIDENTIAL BASIS.

HOWE

YYYY

DISTRIBUTION

24

ΜΑΙΝ

23

HONG KONG AGREEMENT RESTRICTED

LIMITED

HD/HKD

HD/FED

RESEARCH (FE)

DEP HD/PUSD

PS/LORD GLENARTHUR

PS/MR EGGAR

MR MCLAREN

MR GILLMORE

ADDITIONAL

1

MR FIFOOT, LEGAL ADVISERS

NNNN