TNAG-1871-FCO40-2659-Relations-between-Hong-Kong-and-China-1989 — Page 23

CONFIDENTIAL

020560

MOLIAN 3719

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELNO 836

OF 091215Z MARCH 89

INFO PRIORITY PEKING

INFO ROUTINE WASHINGTON, UKREP EC BRUSSELS, UKMIS NEW YORK

PEKING TELNO 367: CHINA AND HUMAN RIGHTS

1. FROM THE HONG KONG ANGLE I SUPPORT THE VIEWS OF PEKING IN PARAS. 5 AND 6 OF TUR. A MEASURED STRENGTHENING OF OUR LINE ON HUMAN RIGHTS IN CHINA COULD HELP TO DEFUSE CRITICISM OF BRITISH QUOTE DOUBLE STANDARDS UNQUOTE WHICH HAS BEEN USED TO SUPPORT THE CASE THAT HMG IS SOFT ON CHINA, IN THE HONG KONG CONTEXT AS WELL AS IN GENERAL TERMS. PROVIDED THAT THE TACTICS SUGGESTED BY PEKING ARE CAREFULLY FOLLOWED, SUCH A LINE SHOULD NOT (NOT) LEAD TO A DETERIORATION IN RELATIONS AFFECTING OUR CO-OPERATION OVER HONG KONG.

2.

ANY SHIFT WOULD NEVERTHELESS HAVE TO BE CONDUCTED WITH CARE. WE MUST OBVIOUSLY AVOID ANY SUSPICION BY THE CHINESE THAT WE ARE SUPPORTING MOVES TOWARDS QUOTE INDEPENDENCE UNQUOTE IN TIBET AND THEREFORE BY EXTENSION IN HONG KONG. THIS WOULD BE A PARTICULARLY

NEURALGIC POINT.

WILSON

YYYY

MAIN

.HUMAN RIGHTS

LIMITED

FED

UND

ECD (E)

NAD

APD

WED

HKD

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PS/MR EGGAR

PS/MR WALDEGRAVE

PS/PUS

PS/SIR J FRETWELL

MR GILLMORE

MR BOYD

MR BAYNE

MR FEARN

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CONFIDENTIAL