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CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
FM PEKING
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 1290
OF 280818Z JULY 88
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG, UKREP HONG KONG
612
TOP COPY Q DIST
113624
MDHIAN 8711
HKB 01113
RECEIVER
27 JUL 1988
SFICER
en 29/x
MY TELNO 1272:BASIC LAW: THE GOVERNOR'S SPEECH AND THE LEGAL EXPERTS MEETING
1. GUO FENGMIN, DIRECTOR OF HKMAO, MFA, ASKED ME TO
ASKED ME TO CALL ON 28 JULY. GUO BEGAN BY GENTLY COMPLAINING THAT, IN HIS SPEECH ON 20 JULY, THE GOVERNOR HAD PUBLICLY CRITICIZED THE DRAFT BASIC LAW. THE DRAFTING
OF THE BASIC LAW WAS THE INTERNAL AFFAIR OF THE CPG. WHILE THE
CHINESE WELCOMED COMMENTS FROM THEIR ''BRITISH FRIENDS'' THROUGH APPROPRIATE CHANNELS, HE FELT THAT THE LANGUAGE IN THE GOVERNOR'S
SPEECH HAD NOT BEEN APPROPRIATE.
2. GUO THEN CONFIRMED THAT THE DATES PROPOSED FOR THE NEXT ROUND OF
LEGAL EXPERTS' TALKS (8-10 AUGUST)
TALKS (8-10 AUGUST) WERE CONVENIENT FOR THE MFA. GUO WELCOMED THIS VISIT, AND KNEW THAT SHAO TIANREN AND HIS COLLEAGUES WERE LOOKING FORWARD TO AN INFORMAL EXCHANGE OF VIEWS. HOWEVER THIS
MEETING SHOULD BE INFORMAL AND THEREFORE NOT (NOT) PUBLICISED. THE CHINESE HAD BEEN CONCERNED ABOUT RECENT HONG KONG PRESS REPORTS THAT MR FIFOOT WOULD VISIT HONG KONG TO SOLICIT VIEWS ON THE BASIC LAW ''AND THEN COME ON TO PEKING TO DISCUSS THEM''
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I SAID THAT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO SET THE GOVERNOR'S SPEECH IN ITS
PROPER CONTEXT: IT HAD BEEN GIVEN TO FINANCIAL EXPERTS IN THE CITY
OF DONDON AND WAS AIMED AT REASSURING THEM ABOUT HONG KONG'S
FINANCIAL STRENGTH AND STABILITY AFTER THE STOCK MARKET CRISIS OF LAST OCTOBER. IT HAD NOT (NOT) BEEN INTENDED AS A PUBLIC CRITICISM OF THE BASIC LAW OR OF THE CPG. GUO APPEARED TO TAKE THIS ON BOARD, AND WAS NOT INCLINED TO PURSUE THE MATTER FURTHER. IN THE COURSE OF MY REMARKS, I SAID THAT IT WAS NATURAL IN TALKING TO FINANCIAL CIRCLES IN LONDON TO POINT OUT THAT LAYING DOWN DETAILED ECONOMIC
POLICY GUIDELINES IN A LAW WAS INCONSISTENT WITH THE FLEXIBILITY
NEEDED TO OPERATE A FREE MARKET. GUO INDICATED THAT HE WAS AWARE OF
THE GENERAL TRUST OF THE GOVERNOR'S SPEECH.
4. AFTER WELCOMING THE CONFIRMATION OF MR FIFOOT'S VISIT I STRESSED
THE DIFFICULTIES HE WOULD FACE BEING PURSUED BY THE HONG KONG PRESS. NEVERTHELESS, I ASSURED GUO THAT I WOULD BRING HIS ANXIETIES TO YOUR
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CONFIDENTIAL
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