CONFIDENTIAL
322
044435 MDLIAN 6441
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 1320
OF 27070OZ APRIL 89
INFO PRIORITY PEKING
309
HKB 011/3
TOP COPY Q DIST ?
YOUR TELNO 374: FAC: CHINESE VIEWS ON REFERENDUM
I SEE THAT IN THE DAILY TELEGRAPH ARTICLE ON 25 APRIL REFERRED TO IN TUR, CHRISTOPHER LOCKWOOD SAID THAT CHINESE APPROVAL FOR A REFERENDUM 'WITHIN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS' CONTRADICTS WHAT I HAVE SAID TO JOURNALISTS ABOUT A REFERENDUM BEING POLITICALLY IMPOSSIBLE BECAUSE IT WOULD BE UNACCEPTABLE TO PEKING.
2. FOR THE RECORD YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT WHAT I AM ALLEGED TO HAVE SAID TO JOURNALISTS IS PROBABLY A REFERENCE, OUT OF CONTEXT, TO A DISCUSSION DURING AN OFF-THE-RECORD LUNCH IN DECEMBER LAST YEAR FOR SOME FOREIGN JOURNALISTS STATIONED IN HONG KONG. THE LOCAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE ASIAN WALL STREET JOURNAL PRESSED INSISTENTLY FOR THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT TO RUN A REFERENDUM ON THE POST-1997 POLITICAL STRUCTURE OF HONG KONG. I SAID IT WOULD NOT BE RIGHT FOR THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT UNILATERALLY TO MAKE SUCH A MOVE. DETAILS OF THE POST 1997 STRUCTURE FELL WITHIN THE SCOPE OF THE BASIC LAW. THIS HAD TO BE FOR CHINA TO DRAFT, TAKING ACCOUNT OF VIEWS OF PEOPLE IN HONG KONG. IT WOULD NOT BE HELPFUL FOR THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT TO APPEAR TO PRE-EMPT THIS PROCESS.
3. I HAVE ASKED THE DIRECTOR OF INFORMATION SERVICES TO TAKE UP WITH LOCKWOOD THIS BREACH OF THE OFF-THE-RECORD RULES.
4. LOCKWOOD'S ARTICLE RAISES A FURTHER INTERESTING POINT. IT CAME OUT BEFORE THE FAC PRESS CONFERENCE REFERRED TO IN PEKING TELNOS 695 AND 702. CAN PEKING THROW ANY LIGHT ON HOW THE STORY ABOUT CHINESE VIEWS ON A REFERENDUM EMERGED IF THE MATTER WAS NOT SPECIFIC- ALLY RAISED BY MEMBERS OF THE FAC WITH THE CHINESE?
5. FROM A LOCAL POINT OF VIEW IT WOULD INDEED BE HELPFUL IF THE FAC COULD CLARIFY THE APPARENT MUDDLE CAUSED BY THIER PRESS CONFERENCE. BUT THEY MAY SAY IT IS DIFFICULT TO FIND A FORUM TO DO SO.
WILSON
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