TNAG-1852-FCO40-2627-House-of-Commons-Select-Committee-on-Foreign-Affairs-enquiry-1989 — Page 91

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 3621

OF 31113OZ OCTOBER 89

CONFIDENTIAL

475

131774

MDHIAN 2381

HKCB Gil 13

TOP COPY Q DIST ?

PERSONAL FOR PAUL, HKD FROM PS/GOVERNOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE

YOU SHOULD BE AWARE THAT MARK HUTTON, ONE OF THE FAC CLERKS, RANG ME TODAY (31 OCTOBER) TO SAY THAT ''ONE OR TWO MEMBERS' WERE THINKING ABOUT A REEXAMINATION OF THE HONG KONG ISSUE, INCLUDING A POSSIBLE RETURN VISIT TO HONG KONG. SINCE IT WAS POSSIBLE THAT THE SUBJECT WOULD COME UP AT NEXT WEEK'S COMMITTEE MEETING, HE WANTED TO SOUND ME OUT ON POSSIBLE TIMING OF A RETURN VISIT. GIVEN THE PROMULGATION OF THE BASIC LAW AROUND MARCH, HE WONDERED IF THAT WOULD BE THE RIGHT TIME FOR A VISIT.

I ASKED IF THIS WAS IN ANY WAY A FORMAL APPROACH AND HE STRESSED THAT IT WAS NOT. I EXPLAINED THAT WHILE THE BASIC LAW WOULD BE PROMULGATED IN MARCH, THERE WOULD NEED TO BE SOME TIME FOR THE FINAL VERSION TO BE DIGESTED HERE AND, INDEED, OVERSEAS. I FOUND IT VERY HARD TO ADVISE ON TIMING FOR A POSSIBLE RETURN VISIT. I LEFT IT WITH HUTTON THAT I WOULD SPEAK TO THE GOVERNOR AND REVERT.

3 =

I PROPOSE TO SPEAK TO THE CLERKS AGAIN TOMORROW AND SAY THAT IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO HAVE AS MUCH WARNING AS POSSIBLE IF THE COMMITTEE DO DECIDE TO RE-VISIT HONG KONG. I WILL ALSO ASK THAT YOU BE KEPT FULLY INFORMED OF ANY INTENTION TO DO SO. AS REGARDS TIMING, I WILL SIMPLY SAY THAT IN CONSIDERING TIMING THE COMMITTEE WILL WISH TO TAKE ACCOUNT OF SENSITIVITIES HERE AND IN THE CONTEXT OF THE CURRENT STATE OF OUR RELATIONS WITH THE

CHINESE.

WILSON

YYYY

PAGE

1

CONFIDENTIAL