TNAG-1722-FCO40-2415-Future-of-Hong-Kong-Basic-Law-1988 — Page 3

CONFIDENTIAL

FM PEKING

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

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122547

MDHIAN 8974

HKB 0113

LAST PAPER

RF:

1 AUG 1988

TELNO 1298

OF 010754Z AUGUST 88

INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG, UKREP JLG HONG KONG

536

INC

PA

MY TELNO 1291: BASIC LAW: LEGAL EXPERTS' MEETING:

PRESS LINE

1. WANG JIANXING TELEPHONED RIORDAN ON 1 AUGUST AND PUT FORWARD THE

FOLLOWING 2 AMENDMENTS TO THE FIRST SENTENCE OF THE PRESS LINE:

A) DELETE ''AFTER HIS VISIT TO HONG KONG''

B) DELETE ''WHO IS RESPONSIBLE MATTERS''.

FOR LEGAL ADVICE ON HONG KONG

OTHERWISE THE CHINESE WERE CONTENT.

2. SPEAKING PERSONALLY RIORDAN SAID HE SAW NO PROBLEM WITH THESE

AMENDMENTS BUT UNDERTOOK TO REPORT.

COMMENT

3. WE ASSUME THAT THE AMENDMENTS RESULT FROM CHINESE SENSITIVITY

OVER LINKING FIFOOT'S VISIT TO PEKING WITH HIS VISIT TO HONG KONG (MY TELNO 1290). THAT SAID THE AMENDMENTS THEMSELVES ARE OF MINIMAL SUBSTANCE, PARTICULARLY AS FIFOOT'S ROLE IN GIVING LEGAL ADVICE ON HONG KONG MATTERS IS ALREADY MADE CLEAR IN THE PRESS LINE ON HIS

VISIT TO HONG KONG CHONG KONG TELNO 2769 TO YOU). GRATEFUL FOR EARLY CONFIRMATION THAT YOU AND HONG KONG HAVE NO OBJECTION TO THE

AMENDMENTS.

4. MIFT CONTAINS OUTLINE PROGRAMME FOR EXPERTS' MEETING.

DONALD

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