TNAG-1900-FCO40-2699-Future-of-Hong-Kong-briefing-1989 — Page 47

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MDHIAN

THE EAST ASIA BUREAU AT STATE. THEY SAID THAT OUR APPROACH WAS WELL TIMED: THEY WERE WORKING THIS WEEK ON WHAT VIEW THEY SHOULD TAKE AS TO WHETHER CHINA, TAIWAN AND HONG KONG SHOULD PARTICIPATE IN THE APEF. THEY ADDED THAT OUR REPRESENTATIONS WOULD BE WIDELY ACCEPTED WITHIN STATE. THE ONLY PROBLEM WAS HOW THE CHINESE WOULD REACT IF HONG KONG WERE INCLUDED AND THEY WERE EXCLUDED. THE ADMINISTRATION HAD TO MAKE UP ITS MIND WHETHER IT WANTED TO RISK ANOTHER ROW WITH CHINA ON THIS ISSUE. WE POINTED OUT THAT IT WAS THE AUSTRALIANS NOT THE US WHO WOULD ISSUE THE INVITATIONS.

COMMENT

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THIS IS ENCOURAGING AS FAR AS IT GOES. BUT THE ADMINISTRATION

IS LIKELY TO GIVE MORE INSIGHT IN ITS CALCULATIONS TO RELATIONS WITH CHINA THAN TO THE MERITS OF HONG KONG'S CASE, HOWEVER OBVIOUS. IT IS NOT THEREFORE A FOREGONE CONCLUSION THAT THE AMERICANS WILL

SUPPORT AN INVITATION TO HONG KONG IF IT IS DECIDED NOT TO DO THE

SAME FOR CHINA.

FALL

YYYY

ΜΑΙΝ

79

DISTRIBUTION

84

.ASIA/PACIFIC ECONOMIC

LIMITED

ERD

SPD

HKD

FED

NAD

SEAD

ECD (E)

PLANNERS

ECONOMIC ADVISERS

NEWS D

PS

PS/MR MAUDE

PS/LORD BRABAZON

MR BAYNE

MR GILLMORE

MR CARRICK

MR KERR

MR MCLAREN

ADDITIONAL

5

MR A HUTTON, EEP/DTI

MR JM BOWDER, OT4/DTI MR W J HALL, OT2/DTI

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MR A C S ALLAN, IF/HMT MR P EDMONDS, IF2/HMT

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