GRS 496
CONFIDENTIAL
FM PEKING
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 948
OF 260551Z MAY 87
Confidential
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
INFO PRIORITY BRUSSELS
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30
TOP COPY
Q DIST ?
MY TENO 895 (NOT TO ALL) AND MIFT: HONG KONG AND THE CCC
1. DUPING A CALL BY PIGOTT ON LIN ZHIYING ON 25 MAY TO DISCUSS
OTHER BUSINESS, LIN SAID THAT HE WAS NOW ABLE TO RESPOND TO THE
POINTS WHICH PIGOTT HAD MADE TO THE CHINESE SIDE ON 4 MAY (MY TELMO
757)..
2. SPEAKING FROM A PREPARED (ENGLISH) SPEAKING NOTE, LIN SAID THAT
THE CHINESE SIDE APPRECIATED THE PROPOSALS WHICH WE HAD PUT FORWARD
ON 4 MAY AND HAD NO OBJECTION TO OUR DRAFT SPEAKING NOTE FOR USE IN
BRUSSELS. THE CHINESE SIDE HAD NOW ALSO PREPARED A SPEAKING MOTE
FOR USE BY THE CHINESE EMBASSY IN BRUSSELS. (LIN HANDED OVER THE
TEXT OF THIS NOTE IN CHINESE AND ENGLISH). IT THE BRITISH SIDE HAD
ANY COMMENTS ON THE TEXT, THE CHINESE SIDE WOULD WELCOME THESE AS
SOON AS POSSIBLE. SINCE THE CHINESE SIDE HAD ALREADY INFORMED THE
CHINESE EMBASSY IN BRUSSELS ABOUT OUR CONSULTATION OVER HONG KONG'S
STATUS IN THE CCC, THE CHINESE SIDE WOULD NOT PROVIDE THEIR BRUSSELS
EMBASSY WITH SEPARATE BACKGROUND NOTES.
3. LIN SAID THAT AS SOON AS BOTH SIDES HAD AGREED EACH OTHERS DRAFT
SPEAKING NOTES, BOTH SIDES SHOULD FIX A DATE AND SHOULD PROMPTLY
INFORM THEIR EMBASSIES IN BRUSSELS OF THAT DATE SO THAT EMBASSIES
COULD CO-ORDINATE ARRANGEMENTS FOR PARALLEL APPROACHES TO THE CCC
SECRETARY-GENERAL. UPON RECEIVING REPORTS ON THESE APPROACHES, THE
BRITISH AND CHINESE SIDES WOULD THEN CONSIDER NEXT STEPS THROUGH
CONSULTATION.
L
.
1
AFTER DEPLOYING HIS SPEAKING NOTE, LIN SAID THAT THE CHINESE
SIDE HAD ONE POINT THEY WISHED TO RAISE REGARDING OUT DRAFT SPEAKING
NOTE (YOUR TELNO 118 TO BRUSSELS) AND OUR BACKGROUND NOTE (YOUR
TELNO 117 TO BRUSSELS). THE CHINESE SIDE HAD NOTICED A PHRASE WHICH
WE HAD USED IN BOTH PAPERS, NAMELY (THE NAME TO BE GIVEN TO HONG
KONG WHEN THE TERRITORY REVERTS TO CHINESE SOVEREIGNTY ON 1 JULY
1997)' (THIS PHRASE APPEARS IN PARA 3 OF THE SPEAKING NOTE AND IN
PARA 2 OF THE BACKGROUND NOTE). THE CHINESE SIDE SUGGESTED THAT WE
SHOULD DELETE THIS PHRASE ALTOGETHER FROM 30TH PAPERS. FAILING
THAT, IT WOULD BE PREFERABLE IF WE WERE TO USE JOINT DECLARATION
LANGUAGE WHICH AVOIDED REFERENCE TO THE TERRITORY 'REVERTING' TO
CHINESE SOVEREIGNTY. LIN SUGGESTED THE FOLLOWING ALTERNATIVE
WORDING THE NAME TO BE GIVEN TO HONG KONG WHEN IT WILL BE RESTORED
TO THE PRC IN 199711. PIGOOT TOOK NOTE AND UNDERTOOK TO REPORT.
Confidential
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