(478
CONFIDENTIAL
166075
MDHIAN 3894
HKB 01113
ชาย
CONFIDENTIAL
FM PEKING
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO
1993
OF 100508Z NOVEMBER 89
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG, UKREP JLG HONG KONG, B T C HONG KONG
476)
477
YOUR TELNOS 2266-2267 TO HONG KONG: FAC REPORT ON HONG KONG.
1 WE ASSUME THAT THE TWO IFTS REFERRED TO IN FIRST TUR ARE IN FACT PARTS 1 AND 2 OF SECOND TUR.
·
2.
WE SEE ONLY TWO POINTS OF REAL POTENTIAL DELICACY FROM THE CHINESE VIEWPOINT. THE FIRST IS IN THE FIRST SENTENCE OF PARA 4 OF YOUR SECOND TUR. IS THE FIRST PHRASE (''IN THE LIGHT OF HONG KONG'') MEANT TO BE A REFERENCE TO THE FAC'S ANALYSIS OR TO OUR OWN ? IF THE FORMER (AS WOULD BE JUSTIFIED BY PARAS 1.9 AND 1.10 OF THE FAC REPORT), COULD NOT THE SENTENCE START: ''THE COMMITTEE SUGGESTS THAT, IN THE LIGHT OF .. THE POINT MAY SEEM A FINICKY ONE BUT THE CHOGM EPISODE HAS RECONFIRMED CHINA'S EXTREME SENSITIVITY TO ANY OFFICIAL PLAYING BY US OF WHAT IT CALLS THE CONFIDENCE CARD''.
3.
TI
?
SECONDLY, THE WORD 'CONSISTENT'' IN THE LAST SENTENCE OF PARA 10 COULD DRAW A STRONG CHINESE REACTION ON THE GROUNDS THAT IT PUTS THE CART BEFORE THE HORSE AND CONFLICTS WITH OUR OWN RECOGNITION OF CHINA'S ULTIMATE RIGHT TO LAY DOWN CONSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE POST-1997 PERIOD THROUGH THE BASIC LAW. WE REALISE THIS MUST HAVE BEEN A DIFFICULT SENTENCE TO DRAFT. BUT WOULD IT NOT BE POSSIBLE TO SAY 'COMPATIBLE'' (OR SOMETHING SIMILAR) RATHER THAN CONSISTENT'', WHICH HAS CLEAR LEGAL/ TECHNICAL CONNOTATIONS IMPLYING THE SUBORDINATION OF ONE SET OF REGULATIONS OR ACTIONS TO ANOTHER ?
4.
11
1
OUR REMAINING POINTS ARE OF A TECHNICAL NATURE:
(A) PARA 4, FINAL SENTENCE: COMMA TO PRECEDE ''OF''
(B) PARA 7 FINAL SENTENCE: SOMETHING SEEMS TO BE MISSING.
(C) PARA 8: WE SUGGEST SUBSTITUTING ''THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES'
FOR THEY''.
PAGE 1 CONFIDENTIAL
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