CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO DESKBY 20120OZ FCO
TELNO 955
OF 20113OZ MARCH 89
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING
190
CONFIDENTIAL
HKB 011/3
?
195.
052406 MDHIAN 7442
YOUR TELNO 697: FAC: LINE OF QUESTIONING FOR SECRETARY OF STATE'S APPEARANCE ON 22 MARCH
PARA 2 OF TUR: WE TAKE YOUR POINT THAT THE COMMITTEE SEEM TO BE THINKING OF WIDER ISSUES THAN LOCALISATION OF LEGISLATION, ALTHOUGH IT IS NOT CLEAR WHAT - PARTICULARLY IN THE FIRST TIRET THEY HAVE IN MIND. IN THESE CIRCUMSTANCES IT WOULD SEEM LEGITIMATE TO FOCUS YOUR REPLY ON THE LOCALISATION OF LEGISLATION. THIS WILL AT A LATER STAGE HAVE TO TAKE ACCOUNT OF THE NEED TO REPLACE THE HONG KONG LETTERS PATENT AND ROYAL INSTRUCTIONS BY THE BASIC LAW, SUPPLEMENTED BY LOCAL LEGISLATION WHERE NECESSARY. THE LINE YOU HAVE PROPOSED IN YOUR BRIEFING FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE, COPIED TO US BY FAX, SEEMS TO TAKE THE RIGHT COURSE.
2. PARA 3 OF TUR: THE ISSUE OF CHINESE POLITICAL ACTIVITY IN HONG KONG RAISES A HOST OF DIFFICULT QUESTIONS. YOU MIGHT WISH TO SUBMIT A REPLY ON THE GENERAL LINES THAT THE NCNA IN HONG KONG HAS FOR MANY YEARS REPRESENTED PEKING'S INTERESTS IN THE TERRITORY IN AN UNOFFICIAL CAPACITY. ALTHOUGH UNOFFICIAL, IN MANY WAYS IT RESEMBLES A LARGE EMBASSY AND HAS ALWAYS TAKEN AN INTEREST IN DEVELOPMENTS IN HONG KONG. THE AGENCY INCLUDES DEPARTMENTS DEALING WITH NEWS, RESEARCH, CULTURE, ECONOMICS AND SOCIAL AFFAIRS ETC. IN AS MUCH AS THE NCNA RESEMBLES AN EMBASSY IT IS NORMAL FOR ITS STAFF TO SEEK TO INFLUENCE CERTAIN SECTORS IN HONG KONG: THIS IS NOTHING NEW. THE JLG OFFICE ON THE OTHER HAND HAS OFFICIAL STATUS BUT IS INVOLVED EXCLUSIVELY WITH LIAISON BETWEEN THE CHINESE AND BRITISH GOVERNMENTS. IT HAS NO LOCAL ROLE IN HONG KONG.
WILSON
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