TNAG-1760-FCO40-2513-Future-of-Hong-Kong-11th-meeting-of-the-Sino-British-Joint-L-1988 — Page 11

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INFO ROUTINE HONG KONG, PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG

HONG KONG AGREEMENT: ELEVENTH MEETING OF THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP

1. THE ELEVENTH MEETING OF THE SINO-BRITISH JOINT LIAISON GROUP (JLG) TOOK PLACE IN HONG KONG FROM 6 TO 9 DECEMBER. THE TEXT OF

THE JOINT COMMUNIQUE IS IN MIFT (NOT TO INFO ADDRESSES). PLEASE MAKE USE OF ANY SUITABLE OPPORTUNITY TO BRIEF SENIOR CONTACTS ALONG THE LINES OF PARAS 2 TO 9 BELOW. SEE ALSO OUR TELNO 1580

OF 27 SEPTEMBER.

2. THE ATMOSPHERE OF THE MEETING WAS AGAIN GOOD. GIVEN THE RELATIVELY SHORT INTERVAL SINCE THE LAST PLENARY JLG, THIS WAS A MEETING FOR CONSOLIDATION RATHER THAN SIGNIFICANT NEW AGREEMENTS. THERE WERE NO (NO) NEW ITEMS ON THE AGENDA.

3. SINCE THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE BRITISH AND CHINESE JLG OFFICES IN HONG KONG ON 1 JULY, THERE HAVE BEEN REGULAR WORKING CONTACTS BETWEEN THE TWO SIDES. AT PRESENT OUR SENIOR REPRESENTATIVE (MCLAREN, AUS (ASIA)) REMAINS LONDON-BASED. BUT HE EXPECTS TO VISIT HONG KONG AT LEAST ONCE BETWEEN EACH PLENARY SESSION TO MEET HIS CHINESE OPPOSITE NUMBER AND DID SO IN EARLY NOVEMBER. THESE TWO FACTORS CONTRIBUTE TO EVENING OUT THE FLOW OF WORK, AND ON THIS OCCASION THE AGENDA OF THE PLENARY MEETING WAS A LITTLE LIGHTER THAN IN THE PAST. MCLAREN WILL NEXT GO TO HONG KONG IN JANUARY WHEN HE ACCOMPANIES LORD GLENARTHUR ON AN OFFICIAL VISIT. HE WILL MEET THE CHINESE SENIOR REPRESENTATIVE AMBASSADOR KE ZAISHUO IN THE MARGINS OF THAT

VISIT.

4. DEFENCE AND PUBLIC ORDER WAS THE MOST SUBSTANTIAL ITEM ON THIS OCCASION, WITH EXCHANGES ON THREE OUT OF FOUR DAYS. THERE HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN EXPERT TALKS AT THE END OF NOVEMBER. NOW THAT AGREEMENT HAS BEEN REACHED ON THE MAIN ISSUES ON PRINCIPLE, DISCUSSIONS HAVE BEGUN TO FOCUS ON THE QUESTION OF SITES NOW OCCUPIED BY THE BRITISH GARRISON AND THE FACILITIES WHICH THE FUTURE CHINESE GARRISON WILL REQUIRE. THE THINKING OF THE CHINESE APPEARS STILL TO BE AT A RELATIVELY PRELIMINARY STAGE. THEY HAVE NOT YET GIVEN US ANY CLEAR INDICATION OF THE LIKELY SIZE OR DEPLOYMENT OF THEIR GARRISON. WE HAVE THE IMPRESSION

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