CONFIDENTIAL
FM PEKING
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 551
OF 030918Z APRIL 89
CONFIDENTIAL
I
TOP
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
•229
234
110415 MDHIAN 8925
HKB 011/3
YOUR TELNO 753 TO HONG KONG.
FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE ENQUIRY:
BRIEFING BY OFFICIALS ON 6 APRIL.
1.
11
PARA 4 OF TUR: THE CHINESE WILL BE SENSITIVE TO ANY SUGGESTION THAT H M G, OR A FORTIORI ANY WESTERN REPRESENTATIVE BODY, SHOULD HAVE A LOCUS IN DRAFTING THE BASIC LAW. THAT SAID, THEY ARE UNLIKELY TO CAVILL IF THE F A C PUT FORWARD VIEWS AS ''PERSONAL COMMENTS' OR ''SUGGESTIONS'' WHICH THE CHINESE MIGHT LIKE TO CONSIDER, OR IF THEY RAISE POINTS WHICH HAVE BEEN PUT TO THEM AS REPRESENTING THE VIEWS OF HONG KONG PEOPLE. FURTHER SPECIFIC POINTS WHICH WILL NEED TO BE HANDLED TACTFULLY ARE THE PACE OF DEMOCRATISATION IN HONG KONG: HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES (PARTICULARLY ANY REFERENCE TO TIBET IN ITS OWN RIGHT OR BY ANALOGY TO THE SITUATION OF HONG KONG AFTER 1997): THE TAIWAN QUESTION: AND THE QUESTION OF RIGHT OF ABODE FOR VIETNAMESE
REFUGEES IN HONG KONG.
2.
IT MIGHT BE WORTH, EITHER IN LONDON OR HONG KONG, MAKING SURE THAT THE GROUP ARE BRIEFED ON THE PLAIN FACTS (AS WE UNDERSTAND THEM) OF THE EMILY LAU INCIDENT AND ANY OTHER EPISODE PICKED UP BY THE HONG KONG PRESS IN A SIMILAR WAY IN THE INTERIM.
3=
WITH APOLOGIES FOR THE OBVIOUS, IT WOULD BE USEFUL IF THE
F A C GROUP COULD START EACH MEETING WITH THE CHINESE BY EXPLAINING THEIR OWN STATUS AND PLANS AND UNDERLINING THE POINT ABOUT INDEPENDENCE FROM GOVERNMENT. THIS COULD HELP I A TO PREEMPT CHINESE SUSPICIONS OF ''GANGING-UP'' IF THE MPS COINCIDENTALLY MAKE DETAILED POINTS SIMILAR TO THOSE WE HAVE MADE THROUGH OFFICIAL CHANNELS ON ISSUES LIKE DEFENCE LANDS, WHERE THE CHINESE ARE ALREADY JUMPY ENOUGH ABOUT ''INSPIRED'' PRESS LEAKS.
(WE SEE NO PRACTICAL WAY OF ACTUALLY PREVENTING THIS HAPPENING, EVEN IF THAT WERE DESIRABLE).
4.
THE DESCRIPTIVE DIAGRAM FAXED TO PIGOTT LOOKS GENERALLY FINE
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