TNAG-1624-FCO40-2238-Relations-between-Hong-Kong-and-China-1987 — Page 48

CONFIDENTIAL

нив ого

06 NO 1987

218

072332

MDHOAN 1748

a

Rists in Tiket

CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO

TO IMMEDIATE PEKING

TELNO 962

OF 301700Z OCTOBER 87

INDEX

INFO IMMEDIATE UKREP BRUSSELS, WASHINGTON, NEW DELHI, HONG KONG INFO IMMEDIATE KATHMANDU

p.

YOUR TELNOS 1878

OCTOBER 1987: THE

AND 1889 AND TELELETTER RIORDAN/CODRINGTON OF 19

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND TIBET

MIFT CONTAINS TEXT OF RESOLUTION ON TIBET ADOPTED BY EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT (EP) ON 15 OCTOBER.

1.

2.

WE UNDERSTAND THAT BARONESS ELLES, A BRITISH AND MEMBER OF THE EUROPEAN DEMOCRATIC GROUP (EDG), HAS NOW THE INVITED THE DALAI LAMA TO VISIT THE EP IN MARCH 1988. INVITATION IS A PERSONAL ONE FROM BARONESS ELLES AND NOT (NOT) ON BEHALF OF THE BRITISH CONSERVATIVES OR THE EDG. WE SHALL APPROACH BARONESS ELLES AT OFFICIAL LEVEL AND INQUIRE WHAT ARRANGEMENTS SHE INTENDS TO MAKE FOR THE VISIT, AND ATTEMPT TO STEER HER IN A DIRECTION THAT WILL MINIMISE THE IMPACT ON UK/CHINA RELATIONS.

CONSERVATIVE MEP

3.

YOU SHOULD DRAW ON THE FOLLOWING IN TALKING TO THE CHINESE AND THE PRESS:

(I)

THE EP IS AN INDEPENDENT DIRECTLY ELECTED BODY. HMG HAS NO CONTROL EITHER OVER THE EP AS AN INSTITUTION OR OVER ITS INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS. EP SOMETIMES PASSES RESOLUTIONS UNWELCOME TO HMG, AND OCCASIONALLY CRITICAL OF THEM:

(II)

EP RESOLUTIONS OF THIS SORT HAVE NO LEGAL STATUS:

(III) HMG DO NOT COMMENT ON EP RESOLUTIONS, AND NEITHER DO MEMBER STATES GENERALLY:

(III)

WE UNDERSTAND BARONESS ELLES' INVITATION TO THE DALAI LAMA IS A PERSONAL ONE AND IS NOT ON BEHALF OF THE EP:

(V)

EP TAKES A CLOSE INTEREST USEFULLY DEVELOP CLOSER AND MORE

IN HUMAN RIGHTS.

CHINA MIGHT

EXTENSIVE LINKS WITH MEPS.

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