TNAG-1895-FCO40-2689-Visit-by-William-Ehrman--Political-Adviser-of-the-Hong-Kong--1989 — Page 4

CONFIDENTIAL

045773

CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO

TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

TELNO 2048

OF 11183OZ OCTOBER 89

HKB 026

124

Pm

INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG

TUP COPYDHOAN 5270 Q DIST?

We have now further prompted

HK Ca BL file).

2

ра la RM 24110.

/POL

HONG KONG FOR/POLITICAL ADVISER

YOUR TELNO 3326 AND PEKING TELNO 1791: POLITICAL ADVISER'S VISIT TO PEKING

1.

WE ARE CONTENT FOR YOU TO PUT THE SUGGESTED DATES TO NCNA, TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE POINTS IN PARAGRAPH 1 OF PEKING TUR. 2. WE AGREE WITH THE POINTS IN PARAGRAPH 2 OF PEKING TUR. WE HAVE IN FACT CONSIDERED WHETHER IT IS WORTHWHILE YOUR MAKING A VISIT AT THIS TIME. BUT WE HAVE CONCLUDED THAT WE SHOULD NOT BE REDUCING OUR CONTACT WITH CHINESE OFFICIALS AND LEADERS. AS LONG AS THE AGENDA IS CAREFULLY CHOSEN, WE THINK YOUR VISIT COULD HELP TO REBUILD BRIDGES. WE AGREE THAT IT WOULD BE PREFERABLE TO PRESENT YOUR VISIT TO NCNA AT THIS STAGE AS AN INTRODUCTORY FAMILIARISATION. YOU SHOULD AVOID GIVING A PRECISE AGENDA (ALTHOUGH WE REALISE YOU MAY HAVE TO GIVE AN INDICATION OF THE TYPE OF ISSUES YOU WILL WANT TO RAISE). WE CAN THEN CONSIDER CAREFULLY NEARER THE TIME EXACTLY WHICH ISSUES IT WOULD BE WORTH TAKING UP WITH THE CHINESE.

3. ON THE SUGGESTIONS IN YOUR TUR WE AGREE THAT YOU SHOULD DISCUSS FOLLOW UP TO JLG XIII AND THE BASIC LAW (OUR TELNO 2022 GIVES OUR VIEWS ON WHICH ARTICLES YOU, THE GOVERNOR AND LEGAL EXPERTS RESPECTIVELY SHOULD RAISE). WE ALSO AGREE, SUBJECT TO DEVELOPMENTS, THAT YOU SHOULD RAISE APEF (SEE SEPARATE TELEGRAM).

WE ARE NOT HOWEVER SURE WHETHER, UNDER PRESENT CIRCUMSTANCES YOU SHOULD RAISE SOUTH CHINA HOLDING CENTRES. IT MIGHT BE ODD TO BE SEEKING CHINESE COOPERATION OVER VBPS AT A TIME WHEN THEY HAVE SUSPENDED COOPERATION OVER ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS. FURTHERMORE, IT WOULD BE EMBARRASSING FOR JI IF YOU WERE TO RAISE IT IN PEKING WHEN IT IS POSSIBLE THAT HE HAS NOT YET ADEQUATELY PREPARED THE GROUND. WE SHALL REVERT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, ONCE WE HAVE A VIEW FROM MINISTERES.

4 -

5. IN THE MEANTIME, PLEASE TAKE ACTION WITH NCNA ON THE BASIS OUTLINED IN PARA 2 ABOVE.

MAJOR

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CONFIDENTIAL