CONFIDENTIAL
151036
MDHOAN
052
IN HONG KONG (WHICH, WITH SUITABLE MODIFICATION, WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE EFFECT AFTER 1997) AND OF THE TERRITORIAL EXTENT OF ANY EMERGENCY UNQUOTE. (WE ALSO NEED TO INSERT QUOTE IN UNQUOTE BEFORE QUOTE ARTICLE UNQUOTE IN THE NEXT SENTENCE.)
2. SUBJECT TO ANY VIEWS FROM HONG KONG AND
ON RECEIPT OF THE NECESSARY FAXED
DOCUMENTS FROM HONG KONG, PLEASE TAKE ACTION DRAWING ON THE SPEAKING NOTE IN MIFT. TOP COPY OF THE LETTER FOLLOWS BY BAG (GRATEFUL IF HONG KONG COULD SEND TOP COPY OF TRANSLATION LIKEWISE). WE AGREE WITH YOUR SUGGESTION THAT THE TEXTS SHOULD BE HANDED OVER ONLY IN PEKING.
3.
ON USE OF THE JLG CHANNEL
WE ALSO AGREE THAT WE SHALL PROBABLY WANT TO DISCUSS THE BASIC LAW IN A PRIVATE MEETING DURING JLG XIV BUT THAT THIS NEED NOT BE MENTIONED IN A SECRETARY OF STATE LETTER (ABOUT WHICH MINISTERS HAVE YET TO TAKE A VIEW). HOWEVER, WHAT WE SHALL NEED TO MAKE CLEAR IN THAT LETTER IS THAT, AFTER PROMULGATION OF THE BASIC LAW, THE JLG WOULD INDEED BE THE APPROPRIATE AND LEGITIMATE FORUM IN WHICH WE SHOULD RAISE WITH THE CHINESE ISSUES OF CONSISTENCY WITH THE JOINT
DECLARATION.
4. ON GENERAL TACTICS, WE WOULD NOT WANT A SECRETARY OF STATE LETTER TO COME OUT OF THE BLUE FOR THE CHINESE. THEY ARE CURRENTLY INCLINED TO SEE US AS DELIBERATELY PURSUING A HARD LINE AND MIGHT INTERPRET ANY SUCH LETTER AS ANOTHER INTENDED QUOTE CHALLENGE UNQUOTE TO THEM. WE HAVE THEREFORE TRIED TO INDICATE OBLIQUELY IN THE DRAFT
SPEAKING NOTE IN MIFT THE GENUINE DIFFICULTIES WE WOULD
FACE IF THERE WERE ARTICLES IN THE BASIC LAW INCONSISTENT WITH THE JD. GIVEN THE GRAVITY OF THIS MESSAGE, WE SUGGEST THAT MISS BAILES, IN THE AMBASSADOR'S ABSENCE, SHOULD DELIVER FIFOOT'S LETTER TO GUO FENGMIN PERSONALLY.
HURD
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CONFIDENTIAL
Redacted under FOI exemption 27(1)!
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