TNAG-1922-FCO40-2727-Future-of-the-judiciary-in-Hong-Kong-1989 — Page 25

CONFIDENTIAL

HKB 373/1

CONFIDENTIAL

FM UKREP JLG HONG KONG

TO IMMEDIATE

TELNO 132

FCO

OF 280918Z APRIL 89

INFO PRIORITY PEKING, HONG KONG

25

~

26

021134

MDHIAN 2615

COPY

Q DIST ?

MY TELNO 129: FOREIGN LAWYERS

1. AFTER DESPATCH OF MY TUR, WANG JIAJI TELEPHONED TO SAY THAT HE HAD DISCUSSED THE QUESTION OF FOREIGN LAWYERS WITH AMBASSADOR KE.

THEY HAD DECIDED THAT IN VIEW OF THE SENSITIVITY OF THE SUBJECT THEY

WOULD NEED TO CONSULT PEKING. HOWEVER, AN ANNOUNCEMENT ON 2 MAY LEFT

THEM VERY LITTLE TIME. WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE FOR US TO POSTPONE THE

ANNOUNCEMENT?

2. I SAID I THOUGHT IT WAS VERY UNLIKELY THAT HONG KONG GOVERNMENT

WOULD BE ABLE OR WILLING TO POSTPONE THE ANNOUNCEMENT. WE HAD OF COURSE BEEN INFORMING THE CHINESE SIDE RATHER THAN CONSULTING THEM. WANG SAID HE WAS WELL AWARE OF THE BASIS ON WHICH I HAD PASSED THE DOCUMENT TO HIM. NEVERTHELESS, IN THE INTERESTS OF THE CHINESE PREPARING AN APPROPRIATE PUBLIC LINE IT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL IF WE COULD DELAY THE ANNOUNCEMENT. I AGAIN EXPRESSED CONSIDERABLE DOUBT THAT THIS WOULD BE POSSIBLE, BUT SAID I WOULD CONSULT. I POINTED OUT THAT WE WOULD EXPECT THE CHINESE IN RESPONSE TO ANY ENQUIRIES SIMPLY TO SAY THAT THIS WAS A MATTER FOR DISCUSSION BETWEEN HKG AND HONG

KONG LAWYERS.

COMMENT

3. SINCE 1 AND 2 MAY ARE HOLIDAYS IN PEKING, WANG'S PROBLEM IS UNDERSTANDABLE. NEVERTHELESS, I SEE LITTLE TO BE GAINED BY ACCEDING TO THE CHINESE REQUEST. IT IS DIFFICULT TO SEE WHAT CONSULTATION IS

NECESSARY IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES UNLESS THE CHINESE ARE PROPOSING TO

MAKE A STATEMENT MORE SUBSTANTIVE THAN SIMPLY BRUSHING ASIDE ENQUIRIES AS I SUGGESTED. NEVERTHELESS, I HAVE ASKED HKG WHETHER THEY WOULD WANT TO DELAY THE ANNOUNCEMENT FOR A DAY OR TWO IN THE LIGHT OF

WANG'S REQUEST. I WOULD NOT FAVOUR DELAYING ANY LONGER. TO DO SO WOULD GIVE THE CHINESE THE IMPRESSION THAT WE WERE PREPARED TO ALLOW THEM SOME SAY IN THIS MATTER.

MARTIN

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CONFIDENTIAL