TNAG-1837-FCO40-2612-House-of-Commons-Select-Committee-on-Foreign-Affairs-enquiry-1989 — Page 66

CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO

TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

TELNO 154

OF 16150OZ JANUARY 89

INFO PRIORITY PEKING

CONFIDENTIAL

HKB 011/3

171761

MDHOAN 2821

√ra.

д

FOLLOWING STRICTLY PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR FROM HUM, HKD PEKING PERSONAL FOR AMBASSADOR

MY TELNO 47: FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE ENQUIRY INTO HONG KONG.

1.

THE FAC HAVE NOW. (NOW) DISCUSSED FURTHER THE POSSIBILITY OF AN ENQUIRY INTO HONG KONG. THEY HAVE TAKEN THE VIEW THAT THEY SHOULD LOOK INTO THE HONG KONG ISSUE. THEY ARE HOWEVER FULLY AWARE OF THE LIMITATIONS UNDER WHICH THEY WOULD BE WORKING AND OF THE SENSITIV- ITIES OF THE SUBJECT. THE COMMITTEE ARE PREPARED TO ADOPT TERMS OF REFERENCE WHICH REFER ONLY TO QUOTE PROGRESS IN IMPLEMENTING THE JOINT DECLARATION UNQUOTE.

2.

WE UNDERSTAND THAT THE COMMITTEE DO NOT INTEND TO MAKE ANY IMMEDIATE ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT THE ENQUIRY. WHEN THIS IS DONE THE COMMITTEE WILL DO THEIR BEST TO ENSURE THAT THE FACT OF THE ENQUIRY DOES NOT RAISE FALSE EXPECTATIONS. THEY WILL MAKE IT CLEAR, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT PARLIAMENT HAS DEBATED AND APPROVED THE JOINT DECLARATION AND THAT THE FAC WILL BE OPERATING STRICTLY WITHIN THAT CONTEXT. THEY WOULD NOT REOPEN ISSUES ALREADY DEALT WITH IN THE JOINT DECLARATION.

3. WE ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT THE COMMITTEE HAS CONSIDERED THE ADVISABILITY OF EARLY CONTACT WITH THE CHINESE. THE CHAIRMAN IS CONSIDERING CALLING ON THE CHINESE AMBASSADOR AT AN EARLY STAGE AFTER THE COMMITTEE'S MEETING ON 18 JANUARY TO EXPLAIN PRECISELY THE TERMS OF REFERENCE OF THE COMMITTEE'S ENQUIRY, TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT THEY DO NOT INTEND TO MAKE THINGS DIFFICULT FOR THE CHINESE AND TO OFFER THE AMBASSADOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE THE COMMITTEE HIS VIEWS AT ANY STAGE OF THE ENQUIRY.

HOWE

YYYY

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