TNAG-1837-FCO40-2612-House-of-Commons-Select-Committee-on-Foreign-Affairs-enquiry-1989 — Page 26

CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO

TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

TELNO 274

OF 27120OZ JANUARY 89

AND TO IMMEDIATE PEKING

INFO IMMEDIATE BTC HONG KONG

CONFIDENTIAL

30

034116

MDHOAN 3697

TOP COPY

O DIST ?

HKB 011/3

PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR FROM PAUL,

HKO

BTC HONG KONG : PERSONAL FOR HOLLOWAY

OUR TELNO 202 AND YOUR TELNO 223: FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE

ENQUIRY INTO HONG KONG.

1.

WE MET ROBERT WILSON, THE CLERK TO THE COMMITTEE, AT A MEETING ON 26 JANUARY CHAIRED BY ROBIN MCLAREN.

HE GAVE US SOME BACKGROUND TO THE PRESENT ENQUIRY, AND MADE IT CLEAR THAT THE FAC HAS NOT (NOT) YET DECIDED HOW THEY

WISH TO PROCEED.

2. WILSON EXPLAINED THAT THE COMMITTEE'S DECISION TO HOLD THE ENQUIRY WAS NOT A SUDDEN ONE. HONG KONG HAD BEEN ON ITS LIST OF POSSIBLE SUBJECTS FOR SOME TIME BUT HAD NOW ASSUMED HIGHER PRIORITY BECAUSE OF THE INCREASED COVERAGE IT HAD RECENTLY RECEIVED IN THE MEDIA AND IN PARLIAMENT. THE ENQUIRY HAD AS ITS BACKGROUND A DEGREE OF UNEASE IN CERTAIN QUARTERS ABOUT DEVELOPMENTS IN HONG KONG. THE PURPOSE OF THE ENQUIRY, WOULD BE FOR THE COMMITTEE TO SATISFY ITSELF ABOUT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT'S ROLE IN IMPLEMENTING THE JOINT DECLARATION. THE ONUS WOULD BE ON THE FCO TO EXPLAIN DEVELOPMENTS AND BRING THE FAC INTO THE PICTURE. THE FAC WAS AWARE OF THE SENSITIVITIES. WILSON ENCOURAGED US TO BE AS OPEN AS POSSIBLE WITH THE COMMITTEE. ON TIMING, THE COMMITTEE HOPED TO HAVE THEIR REPORT COMPLETED AND PUBLISHED BY END OF JULY. THIS MEANT THAT A PROMPT START WAS NEEDED.

3. THE FOLLOWING POINTS, MANY OF WHICH ARE VERY TENTATIVE, EMERGED IN OUR DISCUSSION.

(A) THE FAC WOULD SHORTLY WRITE TO US REQUESTING A MEMORANDUM. THIS SHOULD GIVE SOME BACKGROUND TO THE JD. IT SHOULD SET THE THEME OF GOVERNMENT POLICY IN THE AREAS COVERED BY THE TERMS OF REFERENCE. THE FAC WOULD ALSO ASK US TO COVER VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE, EMIGRATION, NATIONALITY AND POSSIBLY SOME OTHER ADDITIONAL ITEMS OF INTEREST. THE MEMORANDUM SHOULD BE IN THE

FAC'S HANDS BY END OF FEBRUARY.

(B) THE FAC MIGHT FIND IT HELPFUL TO BE INFORMALLY BRIEFED, ON AN OFF-THE-RECORD BASIS, BEFORE FORMAL HEARINGS BEGIN (POINT (C)

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CONFIDENTIAL