TNAG-1635-FCO40-2251-Overseas-visits-by-Sir-Geoffrey-Howe--Secretary-of-State-for-1988 — Page 88

GRS 250

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 1487

OF 14103OZ APRIL 87

33

CONFIDENTIAL

TOP COPY Q DIST ?

INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING

30

YOUR TELNO 341 : SECRETARY OF STATE'S VISIT TO THAILAND :

MCLAREN/KE MEETING

1. WE HAVE ALSO THOUGHT ABOUT THIS MEETING AND, LIKE YOU,

HAVE CONCLUDED THAT THERE ARE NO URGENT SUBSTANTIVE JLG OR BASIC

LAW ISSUES WHICH WE SHOULD TAKE THE INITIATIVE OF RAISING ON THIS

OCCASION.

2. ON PARA 2(A) OF TUR, WE AGREE THAT KE SHOULD BE PROBED ON THE

TIMING AND LOCATION OF THE INITIAL MEETING OF THE PROPOSED EXPERT

TALKS ON DEFENCE AND PUBLIC ORDER AND ON THE COMPOSITION OF THE

CHINESE SIDE. OUR VIEWS ON TIMING AND THE COMPOSITION OF THE CHINESE

TEAM REMAIN AS SET OUT IN PARAS 4 AND 5 CF OUR TELNO 1433. ON THE

LOCATION OF THE INITIAL MEETING, WE CONTINUE TO FAVOUR LONDON.

YOU WILL RECALL THAT AT JLG VI, KE SEEMED TO BE REASONABLY

RESPONSIVE TO THIS SUGGESTION (PARA 10 OF OUR TELNO 1101 REFERS).

IF KE DEMURS ON THIS POINT AT BANGKOK, WE SUGGEST THAT MCLAREN

SHOULD PUT TO KE OUR CONCERN ABOUT LOCAL SENSITIVITIES AND EXTENSIVE

PROBING BY THE PRESS IF THE MEETING WERE HELD IN HONG KONG. IF THE

CHINESE INSIST, WE HAVE NO OBJECTION TO MCLAREN AGREEING TO THE

SECOND ROUND BEING HELD IN PEKING.

3. ON PARA 2(B), WE AGREE THAT KE SHOULD BE PRESSED FURTHER ON THE

PROPOSED LEGAL EXPERTS MEETING ON THE BASIC LAW. WE HAVE CONSIDERED

WHETHER, IN ADDITION, MCLAREN MIGHT RAISE WITH KE SOME OF THE MORE

CONTENTIOUS LEGAL ISSUES, PARTICULARLY JURISDICTION OF THE SAR'S COURTS. BUT, AS WE WILL NEED SOME TIME TO ANALYSE THE OUTCOME OF

THE BLDC FOURTH PLENUM BEFORE DECIDING ON RESPONSE, WE WILL NOT

YET DE IN A POSITION TO WORK OUT THE NEXT STEP BY THE TIME OF THE

BANGKOK MEETING.

WILSON

HHLNAN 1536

LIMITED

HKD

FED

News D

LEGAL ADVISERS

PS

PS | PUS

MR GILLMORE

MR MCLAREN.

H&B 027/9

erdiven visa.

14 APR 1907

CONFIDENTIAL