TNAG-2044-FCO40-2914-Visits-from-China-to-Hong-Kong-1990 — Page 120

CONFIDENTIAL

The

RECER 04/21

B21

053377

MDLIAN 7727

S MAY 1990

TRY

14

CONFIDENTIAL

FM PEKING

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELNO 687

OF 020727Z MAY 90

T

INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG, UKREP JLG HONG KONG, BTC HONG KONG

HONG KONG TELNO 1416 (NOT TO BTC) : CHINESE VISITS TO HONG KONG

1

I LIKE THE IDEA OF ENCOURAGING VICE MINISTER TIAN ZENGPEI TO PAY A VISIT TO HONG KONG AS SOON AS HE CAN.

2.

JIANG ENZHU EXPLAINED TO ME LAST WEEK THAT IT WAS A TEMPORARY ARRANGEMENT THAT VICE MINISTER QI HAD TAKEN OVER RESPONSIBILITY FOR WESTERN EUROPE AND HONG KONG ON ZHOU NAN'S DEPARTURE. IT TURNS OUT THAT THE MAIN REASON FOR GIVING RESPONSIBILITY FOR WESTERN EUROPE TO TIAN ARISES FROM THE SITUATION IN EUROPE, WITH ATTENTION CONCENTRATED ON THE RE- UNIFICATION OF THE TWO GERMANIES. THIS MEANS THAT TIAN'S PORT- FOLIO NOW IS THE SOVIET UNION, THE WHOLE OF EUROPE AND HONG KONG AND MACAO.

I MET TIAN BRIFELY AT THE NEW YEAR WHEN I WAS SPECIALLY INTRODUCED TO HIM BY CHEN ZIYING. WITH HINDSIGHT, THIS MAY

3.

HAVE BEEN DELIBERATE.

4.

I HAD A BRIEF TALK WITH TIAN AT A FAREWELL PARTY FOR THE POLISH AMBASSADOR ON 30 APRIL AND HE EXPRESSED HIMSELF SATISFIED WITH THE RECENT MEETING OF THE JLG IN PEKING. HE SAID IN PARTICULAR THAT HE WAS PLEASED THAT A NUMBER OF CONCRETE MATTERS HAD BEEN DEALT WITH. HE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT WE HAD SOME DIFFICULT POINTS STILL AT ISSUE, NAMELY THE NATIONALITY PACKAGE AND THE BILL OF RIGHTS. WE BOTH AGREED THAT THESE DISAGREEMENTS SHOULD NOT AFFECT THE WORKING RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN OUR TWO SIDES. HE INDICATED THAT HE WAS STILL READING HIMSELF IN ON HONG KONG. HE STRUCK ME AS INTELLIGENT AND APPROACHABLE WITH NONE OF THE BLUSTER AND ARROGANCE OF ZHOU NAN.

5. I WOULD BE HAPPY TO SUGGEST THAT HE VISITS HONG KONG AS SOON AS PRACTICABLE GIVEN HIS OTHER MINISTERIAL COMMITMENTS. I AM SURE THAT HE WOULD NEED TO HAVE A FORMAL INVITATION FROM THE GOVERNOR TO VISIT HONG KONG BEFORE HE COULD SELL THE NOTION TO THE STATE COUNCIL. WE WOULD HAVE TO ISSUE THIS IN DUE COURSE,

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