CONFIDENTIAL
015742
MDADAN 4906 ·
KONG WERE INSEPARABLE. BOTH RIGHTS SHOULD BE RETURNED TO CHINA WHICH WOULD DELEGATE ADMINISTRATIVE POWERS TO HONG KONG. WHAT I HAD SAID CONTRAVENED THE SPIRIT OF THE JD.
COMMENT
12. WHILE LI WAS CLEARLY WELL PREPARED TO SPEAK ABOUT LATEST CHINESE POLICIES TOWARDS HONG KONG, OUR OVERALL IMPRESSION (CONFIRMED BY A DETAILED ACCOUNT OF THE INTERVIEW IN THE HONG KONG STANDARD WHICH IS BEING FAXED TO HKD) WAS THAT HE WAS RESPONDING TO QUESTIONS, SOME LEADING, FROM HONG KONG REPORTERS RATHER THAN MAKING ANY COMPREHENSIVE STATEMENT ON CHINA'S POSITION. NEVERTHELESS, HIS ANSWERS GIVE GOOD INDICATIONS OF THE LINES THAT THE CHINESE MAY WELL BE MINDED TO MOVE ALONG IN THE NEAR FUTURE ON THE POLITICAL SYSTEM, SUBVERSION AND INTERNATIONALISATION. NO ENCOURAGEMENT CAN BE DRAWN FROM HIS VIEWS ON ANY OF THESE POINTS.
13. SINCE LI CLAIMED HE WAS ONLY GIVING HIS OWN VIEWS FOR THE FURTHER CONSIDERATION OF DRAFTERS, WE DO NOT/NOT THINK WE SHOULD RESPOND PUBLICLY AT THIS STAGE. WE WILL HOWEVER HAVE TO CONSIDER HOW TO TAKE UP THESE ISSUES AT JLG XIV. UKREP JLG WILL TELEGRAPH FURTHER ON THIS IN THE CONTEXT OF OUR GENERAL STRATEGY FOR THE JLG MEETING. MEANWHILE, I AM ASKING THE PA TO EXPRESS SURPRISE TO NCNA AT LI'S APPARENT WILFUL MISUNDERSTANDING OF WHAT I SAID IN WASHINGTON WHICH SITS ODDLY WITH OUR CAREFUL EXPLANATION OF BOTH THE DETAIL AND THE CONTENT OF WHAT I ACTUALLY SAID.
WILSON
YYYY
ADVANCE
5
DISTRIBUTION
5
.HONG KONG AGREEMENT .(RESTRICTED)
MR MCLAREN
HD/HKD
MR EDWARDS LEGAL ADV
NNNN
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