RESTRICTED
FM FCO
TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
TOP COPY
HKB 040/2
130
036644
MDHOAN 0044
RESTRICTED
11 JUL 1988
TELNO 1812
OF 08140OZ JULY 88
INFO PRIORITY UKREP JLG HONG KONG
INFO ROUTINE PEKING
LSK OF INDEX
Gwill
-see abo
HOUSE OF COMMONS DEBATE: BASIC LAW: VISITING LAW SOCIETY DELEGATION
HKB 026/5
Adios 50, 51,
1. WE HAVE TODAY RECEIVED A FAXED LETTER FROM MS ANNA WU OF ROBERT W H WANG AND CO, ON BEHALF OF EIGHT MEMBERS OF THE HONG KONG LAW SOCIETY AND BAR ASSOCIATION. THEY ARE VISITING LONDON TO LOBBY BEFORE THE DEBATE ON THE BASIC LAW: AND THEY HAVE REQUESTED CALLS ON THE PRIME MINISTER, THE FOREIGN SECRETARY AND LORD GLENARTHUR ON 13 OR 14 JULY.
2. THE DELEGATION COMPRISES SIMON IP, PRESIDENT OF THE LAW SOCIETY COUNCIL, RICHARD MORRIS, ALBERT CHEN, GLADYS LI, JOHANNES CHAN, TOM CHENG, ALAN HOO AND MS WU HERSELF.
3.
WE ARE VERY CONSCIOUS OF RECENT PRECEDENTS CONCERNING CALLS ON FCO MINISTERS BY HONG KONG VISITORS, NOTABLY MARTIN LEE'S JANUARY DELEGATION. WHATEVER DECISION WE TAKE IS LIKELY TO BE PLAYED BACK IN HONG KONG ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.
4
·
THIS IS CLEARLY A HEAVYWEIGHT LEGAL DELEGATION, WHICH MERITS SERIOUS TREATMENT HERE. OUR INCLINATION IS TO ARRANGE FOR A
(MCLAREN AND FIFOOT) TO MEETING WITH SENIOR FCO OFFICIALS DISCUSS THE BASIC LAW IN DEPTH, FOLLOWED BY A SHORT COURTESY CALL
(WE CONTEMPLATED ON LORD GLENARTHUR BY THE WHOLE DELEGATION. LIMITING THE CALL ON LORD GLENARTHUR TO, SAY, TWO MEMBERS OF THE DELEGATION, PRINCIPALLY TO KEEP THE NUMBERS MANAGEABLE.
BUT TO
DO SO WOULD BE INVIDIOUS, AND THERE IS IN ANY CASE NO CLEAR BASIS ON WHICH TO DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN THE MEMBERS OF THE DELEGATION). GRATEFUL FOR YOUR VIEWS ON THIS APPROACH DESKBY 11083OZ.
5. WE HAVE FAXED A MESSAGE TO MS WU INDICATING THAT WE ARE CONSIDERING HER REQUEST, AND SUGGESTING THAT SHE CONTACT HKD ON ARRIVAL IN LONDON ON 12 JULY.
HOWE
YYYY
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