TNAG-1716-FCO40-2396-Hong-Kong-1987-Review-of-Representative-Government-1988 — Page 130

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TAD

SECRET

136166

MDHIAN 3114

SECRET

FM HONG KONG

TO DESKBY 12110OZ FCO

TELNO 135

OF 12095OZ JANUARY 88

INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING

30

нко siill HRB

YOUR TELNO 83: REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT: WHITE PAPER:

PAPER FOR THE CHINESE

IN PROPOSING THAT THE PAPER INCLUDE A COVERING NOTE OUTLINING THE

OTHER MAIN CONTENTS OF THE WHITE PAPER, WE WERE OF COURSE, FOLLOWING THE FORMAT OF THE PAPER HANDED OVER IN MARCH LAST

YEAR IN CONNECTION WITH THE DRAFTING OF THE GREEN PAPER. WE WERE

ALSO CONSCIOUS THAT THE CHINESE MIGHT WELCOME (AND INDEED EXPECT)

SOME INFORMAL CONFIRMATION THAT THE OUTCOME OF THE REVIEW WILL BE

GENERALLY IN LINE WITH THE PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT WHICH I GAVE TO

ZHOU NAN AND LI HOU LAST DECEMBER. I WOULD NOT SEE THIS AS BEING

QUOTE COMPREHENSIVE PRIOR CONSULTATION UNQUOTE BUT CONFIRMATION

OF THE ADVANCE WARNING WE HAVE ALREADY GIVEN THEM ABOUT THE GENERAL

CONTENT OF THE PAPER.

2. IN VIEW OF THE PROBLEMS SUCH AN APPROACH WOULD CAUSE YOU. HOWEVER

I AM CONTENT NOT TO INCLUDE A COVERING PAPER BUT, INSTEAD ΤΟ PROVIDE HMA PEKING WITH AN APPROPRIATE DEFENSIVE BRIEF IN CASE THE

CHINESE ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT OTHER ASPECTS OF THE WHITE PAPER. WE

ARE NOW WORKING ON A DRAFT SPEAKING NOTE ALONG THE LINES SUGGESTED

IN PARA 3 OF TUR, AND WILL AIM TO SEND THIS TO YOU TOMORROW.

WILSON

YYYY

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