RESTRICTED
020656
MDHIAN 1872
RESTRICTED
FM WASHINGTON
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 2146
OF 10234OZ AUGUST 89
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG, CANBERRA
INFO PRIORITY TOKYO, SEOUL, KUALA LUMPUR, SINGAPORE, BANGKOK INFO PRIORITY JAKARTA, MANILA, BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, OTTAWA INFO PRIORITY PEKING, WELLINGTON
OUR TELNO 2120: ASIA/PACIFIC ECONOMIC FORUM: HONG KONG
1.
IN VIEW OF THE LESS THAN WHOLLY REASSURING REACTIONS REPORTED IN TUR,
I RAN OVER THE GROUND ON 10 AUGUST WITH SOLOMON (ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR ASIA, STATE).
2. SOLOMON SAID THAT NO FINAL DECISIONS WOULD BE TAKEN
ON THIS UNTIL THE NEXT MEETING OF THE ASEAN ECONOMIC MINISTERS IN SEPTEMBER. BUT IT WOULD BE VERY DIFFICULT TO HAVE HONG KONG
ATTEND THE MEETING AND NOT INVITE CHINA AND TAIWAN. AS WELL. I PRESSED HIM ON WHETHER IT WAS HIS VIEW THAT CHINA SHOULD NOT ATTEND.
SOLOMON REPLIED THAT HE WAS NOT NECESSARILY SAYING THAT CHINA SHOULD BE EXCLUDED FROM THE APEF, BUT NOW WAS NOT THE RIGHT TIME TO INVITE THEM. HE ADDED THAT HE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE BETTER TO BUILD ON THE PECC (BUT ADDED THAT OTHERS IN STATE DID NOT SHARE
THIS VIEW). I SAID THAT I THOUGHT GILLMORE MIGHT WISH TO
MENTION THIS SUBJECT DURING HIS TALKS HERE ON 15 AUGUST (WITH THE AIM OF ENSURING THAT NO DECISIONS WOULD BE TAKEN BEFORE THEN). COMMENT
3.
WE ARE NOT ENTIRELY CLEAR WHETHER HONG KONG PARTICIPATES
IN PECC, ALTHOUGH WE BELIEVE THAT THEY HAVE BEEN INVOLVED AT LEAST IN PRIVATE SECTOR ASPECTS. IF SO, SOLOMIN'S IDEA MIGHT BE A WAY OF MAKING IT EASIER FOR THE US TO ACQUIESCE IN THE INCLUSION OF CHINA, AND THEREFORE HONG KONG, ON THE GROUNDS THAT THEY WERE BUILDING ON
AN EXISTING STRUCTURE.
FALL
YYYY
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