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SECRET
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193
001746
MDHIAN 5649
HKC 062/1
27(1)
SECRET
FM PEKING
TO IMMEDIATE F C O
TELNO 1466
OF 040515Z AUGUST 89
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
TOP
TOP COPY Q DIST ?
PERSONAL FOR PAUL, HK 0.
HONG KONG PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR.
+154)
YOUR TELNO 1612 TO HONG KONG AND HONG KONG TELNO 2592.
DEFENCE AND PUBLIC ORDER.
1.
HAVING SEEN THESE PAPERS ON MY RETURN I MUST SAY I HAVE STRONG RESERVATIONS ABOUT WHAT THE GOVERNOR IS NOW PROPOSING. IT WOULD CERTAINLY LET US IN FOR A VERY ROUGH PASSAGE WITH THE CHINESE BUT I WONDER WHETHER, IN THE OUTCOME, IT CAN REALLY BE IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF HONG KONG. I SEE THREE MAIN PROBLEMS.
2. FIRST, TIMING. THE REASONS GIVEN IN PARAS 6-7 OF SECOND TUR FOR AN ANNOUNCEMENT ON THE CENTRAL-WANCHAI PROJECT IN OCTOBER ARE NOT COMPELLING IN ANY CONCRETE SENSE. THEY BOIL DOWN TO QUESTIONS OF EXPECTATIONS AND CONFIDENCE, WHICH SURELY WOULD SUFFER EVEN MORE FROM PROVOKING A MAJOR ROW WITH THE CHINESE (AND ONE WHICH WE COULD NOT PROMISE THE PUBLIC WE WOULD WIN), FROM EVERY OTHER VIEWPOINT OCTOBER STRIKES ME AS THE WORST POSSIBLE TIMING. IT WOULD OVERSHADOW AND UPSET THE FOLLOW-ON FROM JLG XIII AND HOLDING OF JLG XIV. IT WOULD LEAVE UNREALISTICALLY LITTLE TIME FOR US TO PREPARE THE GROUND AND MAKE SOME SHOW OF SEEKING AN AGREED SOLUTION (I FIND FIRST TUR CONVINCING ON THIS). MOST SERIOUSLY, IT WOULD COME AT A CRITICAL JUNCTURE FOR THE BASIC LAW. OCTOBER 1989 – JANUARY 1990 IS THE PERIOD OF REDRAFTING IN PEKING, WHEN IMPROVEMENTS TO HONG KONG'S FUTURE CONSTITUTION WILL EITHER BE MADE OR FAIL TO BE MADE ONCE AND FOR ALL. ANYTHING THAT RISKS GRATUITOUSLY UPSETTING THIS PROCESS (AND I SHALL SAY MORE ON THE RISK BELOW) SHOULD SURELY BE AVOIDED OR POSTPONED IF HUMANLY POSSIBLE.
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