TNAG-1858-FCO40-2633-Legislative-Council-of-Hong-Kong-memoranda-and-minutes-of-me-1989 — Page 98

The war for

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO DESKBY 26170OZ FCO

TELNO 3189

OF 26115OZ SEPTEMBER 89

INFO DESKBY 27010OZ PEKING

49

CONFIDENTIAL

172523

MDHIAN 7196

HEB

MY 5TH IPT: MY ADDRESS TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL: 11 OCTOBER

DRAFT TEXT ON THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP IS AS FOLLOWS:

(D) THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP

46.

MUCH OF THE DETAILED WORK ON IMPLEMENTING THE JOINT DECLARATION TAKES PLACE IN THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP (JLG). THE

ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE JLG DURING THE PAST FOUR YEARS HAVE CONTRIB-

UTED SIGNIFICANTLY TO THE MAINTENANCE OF CONFIDENCE IN HONG KONG.

THEY HAVE ONLY BEEN POSSIBLE BECAUSE OF THE CLOSE CONTACTS AND CO-OPERATION BETWEEN THE TWO SIDES. INEVITABLY, THESE CONTACTS WERE TEMPORARILY SUSPENDED IN JUNE. THE GROUP HAS RECENTLY

RESUMED ITS ACTIVITIES AND WILL MEET AGAIN SQUARE BRACKETS ON

IN DECEMBER SQUARE BRACKETS OFF. I AM SURE THAT IT WILL, AS PREVIOUSLY, PRODUCE A STEADY STREAM OF SOLID WORK. MUCH STILL REMAINS TO BE DONE BEFORE 1997.

47.

THE CONFIDENTIALITY OF PROCEEDINGS IN THE JLG HAS OFTEN

LED TO MISUNDERSTANDINGS IN HONG KONG ABOUT ITS ROLE AND

ACTIVITIES. FROM TIME TO TIME IT HAS BEEN SUGGESTED THAT THE BRITISH AND CHINESE GOVERNMENTS TAKE DECISIONS IN THE JLG IN

WHICH HONG KONG PLAYS NO PART. I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT THIS IS

NOT THE CASE. TWO MEMBERS OF THE HONG KONG ADMINISTRATION SIT

AS MEMBERS OF THE BRITISH SIDE OF THE JLG. MANY MORE ATTEND

ITS MEETINGS. ALL SUBJECTS ON THE AGENDA OF JLG MEETINGS

ARE THOROUGHLY DISCUSSED BEFOREHAND BETWEEN THE BRITISH AND HONG KONG GOVERNMENTS. AND THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL IS KEP FULLY

INFORMED OF ALL PROCEEDINGS AND IS CONSULTED ON ALL MAJOR ISSUES OF

POLICY. HONG KONG PLAYS A FULL ROLE IN THE JLG. WE WILL CONTINUE

TO DO SO.

WILSON

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