CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
FM PEKING
TO DESKBY 31080OZ F C 0
TELNO 1104
OF 31062OZ JULY 90
#квого 122
RECEIVER IN REGISTRY
INFO DESKBY 31080OZ HONG KONG
Q 1 AUG 1990
TOP COPY Q DIST?
INFO IMMEDIATE UKREP JLG HONG KONG
19
014360
MDHIAN 0745
FCO PERSONAL FOR MARSDEN, HONG KONG DEPARTMENT.
HONG KONG PERSONAL FOR ACTING GOVERNOR.
18
YOUR TELNO 1439 TO HONG KONG : COMMONWEALTH FINANCE MINISTER'S MEETING 1991.
10
1 THE CHINESE ARE EXTREMELY SENSITIVE ABOUT ANY SIGNS THAT HONG KONG MAY BE DEVELOPING LINKS WITH THE COMMONWEALTH. THIS REFLECTS NOT ONLY THEIR CONCERNS ABOUT INTERNATIONALISATION, BUT ALSO THEIR PERCEPTION OF THE COMMONWEALTH AS AN ORGANISATION THAT ORIGINATED IN IMPERIALISM AND COLONIZATION. IT IS DIFFICULT TO ASSESS WHETHER THE CHINESE WOULD REACT BADLY TO HOLDING THE COMMONWEALTH FINANCE MINISTER'S MEETING IN HONG KONG, BUT THERE IS CONSIDERABLE DANGER THAT THEY WOULD SEE IT AS PART OF A PROCESS TO ESTABLISH POST-1997 LINKS BETWEEN HONG KONG AND THE COMMONWEALTH. THE PROSPECT OF AN ADB MEETING IS A COMPLETELY SEPARATE ISSUE.
2. WE DOUBT WHETHER THE POTENTIAL BENEFITS TO CONFIDENCE IN HONG KONG FROM HOLDING THE MEETING THERE ARE WORTH THE RISKS OUTLINED ABOVE. INDEED, WE WOULD HAVE THOUGHT THAT IF HONG KONG WAS PUT FORWARD AS THE VENUE ONLY TO BE BLOCKED BY OTHER COMMONWEALTH MEMBERS (PARA 4 OF TUR), THIS WOULD HAVE AN EXTREMELY NEGATIVE EFFECT ON CONFIDENCE IN THE TERRITORY.
COATES
YYYY
PAGE 1 CONFIDENTIAL
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.