CONFIDENTIAL
HKB 020/14.
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO DESKBY 06090OZ FCO
TELNO 1856
OF 06063OZ JUNE 89
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
26
161004
MDHIAN 7767
TOP COPY ODIST ?
FOLLOWING FOR PAUL HKD FROM GOVERNOR
24
25
YOUR TELNOS 1198 AND 1199: EVENTS IN CHINA: STATEMENT BY SECRETARY OF STATE TO THE HOUSE
1. THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME SEE THE TEXT OF THE PROPOSED STATEMENT. IN GENERAL IT SEEMS FINE: BUT I HAVE THREE SPECIFIC CHANGES TO SUGGEST:
·
(A) IN PARA 3 ADD AFTER 'BRITISH NATIONALS'' THE PHRASE ' AND OTHER HONG KONG PEOPLE'' I HOPE WE COULD AVOID DRAWING DISTINCTIONS OF NATIONALITY IN A PUBLIC STATEMENT ABOUT OUR OVERALL RESPONSIBILITY FOR HONG KONG RESIDENTS.
(B) IN PARA 6 I WOULD PREFER A MORE FORCEFUL COMMITMENT TO ENSURING THAT THE JOINT DECLARATION IS IMPLEMENTED. I SUGGEST REPLACING ALL AFTER THE FIRST SENTENCE WITH THE FOLLOWING..... ''WE AND THE CHINESE HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO ENSURE THAT THE PROVISIONS OF THE JOINT DECLARATION ARE CARRIED OUT TO THE FULL. WE WILL STAND BY THOSE OBLIGATIONS. WE LOOK TO THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT TO DO THE SAME''.
(C) IN PARA 7 IT MIGHT BE BETTER TO AVOID DRAWING SPECIFIC ATTENTION TO THE JLG AT THIS STAGE: DOING SO WOULD RAISE THE PROFILE OF WHETHER OR NOT THE MEETING GOES AHEAD. IT IS ALSO A VERY DETAILED POINT FOR PARLIAMENT. I SUGGEST REPLACING THE LAST SENTENCE WITH ''WE SHALL NEED TO CONSIDER CAREFULLY OUR PROGRAMME OF DISCUSSIONS AND CONTACTS WITH THE CHINESE ON MATTERS AFFECTING
HONG KONG.''
WILSON
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CONFIDENTIAL
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