TNAG-1837-FCO40-2612-House-of-Commons-Select-Committee-on-Foreign-Affairs-enquiry-1989 — Page 8

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CONFIDENTIAL

FM PEKING

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELNO 137

OF 0103OOZ FEBRUARY 89

INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG

CONFIDENTIAL

HKB 011/3

38

044647

MDLIAN 3201

enter

W1⁄2

PERSONAL FOR P U S, MCLAREN, HEAD OF HONG KONG DEPARTMENT, AND PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR, HONG KONG.

FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE ENQUIRY INTO HONG KONG.

1. IN A SEPARATE TELEGRAM, I HAVE ADVISED THAT THE F A C SHOULD TAKE UP THE QUESTION OF THE PROPOSED VISIT TO CHINA WITH THE CHINESE EMBASSY IN LONDON AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, BECAUSE IT IS NOT YET KNOWN WHETHER THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT WILL BE CONTENT TO RECEIVE A VISIT AT THE TIMES INTENDED BY THE COMMITTEE. I KNOW THAT THE SECRETARY OF STATE HAS RECENTLY EXPLAINED TO THE CHINESE AMBASSADOR HOW F A C ENQUIRIES WORK BUT THE LATTER MAY NOT SO FAR HAVE RUNG ANY ALARM BELLS IN PEKING. UNTIL THE FAC HAVE HAD CONFIRMATION THAT THEIR VISIT IS WELCOME, THERE IS AMPLE ROOM FOR MISHAP AND MISUNDERSTANDING.

2. IT IS HERE IN PEKING AT THE POLITICAL AND PARTY LEVEL THAT MISTRUST AND MISCONCEPTIONS ARE MOST LIKELY. MAY I PRIVATELY AIR SOME OF THE GENERAL POLITICAL ASPECTS WHICH HAVE NOT SO FAR BEEN ADDRESSED ? I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT ANY PREVIOUS FA C ENQUIRY INTO A DEPENDENT TERRITORY HAS DRAWN IN A THIRD COUNTRY WITH WHICH WE ARE IN FRIENDLY COOPERATION (UNLIKE ARGENTINA) BUT WHICH HAS A POLITICAL SYSTEM AND AN ATTITUDE TO PUBLICITY AND PARLIAMENTARY DISCUSSION VERY DIFFERENT FROM OURS (UNLIKE SPAIN). (THERE WERE SOME PARALLELS WITH THE F A C ENQUIRY INTO S E ASIA, BUT THOSE ASEAN COUNTRIES WELL UNDERSTOOD THE HOUSE OF COMMONS).

3. THERE ARE TWO BASIC PROBLEMS:

(A) THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT REGARD THE BASIC LAW FORMALLY AND PUBLICLY AS THEIR OWN AFFAIR. THEY HAVE IN THE PAST SHOWN SENSITIVITY OVER DEBATES IN WESTMINSTER AND IN THE HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. THE F A C SEEMS TO BE PLANNING TO LOOK AT THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE BASIC LAW (STILL BEING DRAFTED AND DISCUSSED) AND THE JOINT DECLARATION. AT THE SAME TIME,

THEY SEEM TO BE PLANNING TO LOOK AT SOME NON-JOINT DECLARATION

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