TNAG-1655-FCO40-2303-Hong-Kong-and-the-Customs-Co-operation-Council-(CCC)-1987 — Page 136

GRS 582

CONFIDENTIAL

FM PEKING

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 1001

OF 020855Z JUNE 87

CONFIDENTIAL

INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG, BRUSSELS

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MY TELNOS 992, 993, AND 994: HONG KONG AND THE CCC

1.

LIN ZHIYING ASKED PIGOTT TO CALL ON HIM ON 2 JUNE TO ENABLE HIM TO RESPOND TO THE POINTS WHICH PIGOTT HAD MADE ON 1 JUNE (FIRST TUR).

2. LIN SAID THAT HE HAD REPORTED THE POINTS MADE BY PIGOTT TO KE

ZAISHUO. THE CHINESE SIDE HAD STUDIED THE AMENDMENTS TO PARAS 3 AND 4 OF THE DRAFT CHINESE SPEAKING NOTE. THE CHINESE SIDE WERE

GRATEFUL TO US FOR PROPOSING THESE AMENDMENTS AND ACCEPTED ALL BUT

ONE OF THEM. (THE CHINESE ALSO PREFERRED TO USE THE BEST MEANS OF CONFIRMING THE HONG KONG'S STATUS'' IN PARA ↳ OF THEIR SPEAKING

NOTE). ON THE SINGLE BRITISH PROPOSAL WHICH THE CHINESE SIDE DID NOT CONSIDER APPROPRIATE, LIN SAID THAT THE CHINESE SIDE PREFERRED TO RETAIN SOME OF THEIR ORIGINAL WORDING IN PARA 3 OF THE DRAFT, IN THE ANTIPENULTIMATE SENTENCE OF PARA 3 WE HAD SUGGESTED THE WORDING ''THE GOVERNMENTS OF THE TWO COUNTRIES WILL MAKE SEPARATE DECLARATIONS TO THE CCC''. THE CHINESE SIDE PREFERRED THE FORMULA ''THE GOVERNMENTS OF THE TWO COUNTRIES WILL HAND OVER SEPARTE DECLARATIONS TO THE CCC''. THERE WERE 2 REASONS FOR THIS PREFERENCE:

A)

THE TERM 'HAND OVER APPEARED IN OUR DRAFT SPEAKING NOTE, AND

LIN,

B) THE CHINESE SIDE WOULD NOT FORMALLY MAKE THEIR DECLARATION PERSONALLY TO THE SECRETARIAT OF THE CCC, THEY WOULD SIMPLY HAND OVER THE TEXT OF THEIR DECLARATION TO THE SECRETARY-GENERAL. SPEAKING PERSONALLY, THOUGHT THAT THERE WAS NO SUBSTANTIVE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HAND OVER AND 'MAKE'' IN THIS CONTEXT. THE CHINESE SIDE HAD ONLY ONE OBJECTIVE IN MIND AND THAT WAS TO SETTLE THE QUESTION OF HONG KONG'S STATUS IN THE CCC.

3. SPEAKING PERSONALLY, PIGOTT SAID THAT THE EXPRESSION MAKE'' REFERRED TO WHAT BOTH SIDES INTENDED TO DO IN THE CCC IN FUTURE, AFTER THEY HAD SECURED THE SECRETARY-GENERAL'S ADVICE. THERE WAS THEN SOME INCONCLUSIVE DISCUSSION AS TO WHETHER ''PRESENT'' WOULD MEET THIS CHINESE CONCERN. SPEAKING PERSONALLY, LIN THOUGHT THAT ''HAND OVER'' IMPLIED, AS THE CHINESE SIDE WISHED IT TO, THAT THE FORMAL CHINESE DECLARATION WOULD BE PASSED TO THE CCC WHO WOULD DEAL WITH IT IN WHATEVER WAY THEY NORMALLY DEALT WITH SUCH DECLARATIONS,

IN ACCORDANCE WITH THEIR RULES AND REGULATIONS. SPEAKING

PERSONALLY, PIGOTT SAID THAT HE DID NOT THINK IT OF GREAT IMPORTANCE

IF 'HAND OVER WERE RETAINED IN THE CHINESE SIDE'S SPEAKING NOTE.

CONFIDENTIAL

THE