TNAG-1599-FCO40-2192-Hong-Kong-1987-Review-of-Representative-Government-1987 — Page 101

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TELNO 4779

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INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING

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PEKING TELNO 2184 TO YOU: DISTRICT BOARDS AND MUNICIPAL COUNCILS

WE HAVE NO OBJECTION TO PEKING HANDING OVER THE TEXT OF THE PRESS RELEASE IF REQUESTED BY THE CHINESE SIDE, (NEXT WORD UNDERLINED) PROVIDED THEY JUDGE THERE IS NO RISK OF NEGOTIATIONS TAKING PLACE OVER IT. WE WOULD PREFER NOT (NOT) TO HAND OVER THE TEXT OF THE DEFENSIVE Q AND A BRIEF.

2. PARA 2 OF TUR: THE DATES IN THE ANTEPENULTIMATE PARAGRAPH OF THE PRESS RELEASE ARE ALREADY WELL KNOWN LOCALLY. HOWEVER, TO ACCOMMODATE PEKING'S CONCERN (PARTICULARLY IF THE PRESS RELEASE IS TO BE PASSED TO THE CHINESE), WE WOULD BE HAPPY TO REVERSE THE ORDER OF THE THIRD AND FOURTH LAST PARAGRAPHS.

3. WE SHALL NEED TO DECIDE DEFINITIVELY BY 170245Z WHETHER TO GO AHEAD WITH THE ANNOUNCEMENT ON 17 DECEMBER AND WITH GAZETTING ON THE 18TH. THE FORMER DATE HAS, OF COURSE, ALREADY BEEN NOTIFIED TO THE CHINESE, AND WE HAVE EMPHASISED THAT IT IS THE LATEST POSSIBLE DATE: SEE FINAL PARAGRAPH OF THE SPEAKING NOTE IN OUR TELNO 4702.

4. GRATEFUL FOR CONFIRMATION DESKBY 17023OZ THAT WE MAY PROCEED.

WILSON

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PS/LORD GLENARTHUR PS/MR EGGAR

MR MCLAREN

MR GILLMORE

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