TNAG-2044-FCO40-2914-Visits-from-China-to-Hong-Kong-1990 — Page 149

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010571 MDLIAN 2178

FIGURES TO GO TO HONG KONG IN ORDER NOT TO CREATE THE IMPRESSION THAT CHINA WAS ALREADY ''TAKING OVER''. I WOULD, HOWEVER, PREFER TO LOOK AT EACH VISIT PROPOSAL ON ITS OWN MERITS IN THE LIGHT OF

A CLEAR ANALYSIS OF THE OBJECTIVES TO BE MET BY THE VISIT AND AN INDICATION OF HOW IT WOULD BE MANAGED (E.G. IN TERMS OF PUBLICITY).

7.

THERE IS, OF COURSE, THE QUESTION OF OUR OBLIGATIONS UNDER THE MADRID DECLARATION. AN INVITATION TO CHINESE MINISTERS TO VISIT HONG KONG WOULD BE QUALITATIVELY DIFFERENT FROM THE VISIT OF THE GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG TO CHINA IN THE CONTEXT OF DISCUSSIONS ABOUT HONG KONG'S CONSTITUTIONAL FUTURE.

NEVERTHELESS, WE HAVE ALWAYS MAINTAINED TO OUR PARTNERS THAT OUR RESPONSIBILITY

FOR HONG KONG GIVES A SPECIAL CHARACTER TO OUR BILATERAL RELATIONS WITH CHINA. AS SEEN FROM HERE, THERE WOULD BE NO DIFFICULTY IN JUSTIFYING SUCH INVITATIONS, PROVIDED WE STEERED CLEAR OF MINISTERS OR INDIVIDUALS CLOSELY ASSOCIATED WITH THE REPRESSION IN JUNE LAST YEAR.

8. PARA 4 OF TUR: AS WITH QIAN, WE SHALL CONTINUE TO TRY TO PROVIDE ADVANCE WARNING OF HIGH LEVEL OFFICIALS WHO MIGHT BE PLANNING TO PASS THROUGH HONG KONG.

DONALD.

YYYY

DISTRIBUTION

60

ΜΑΙΝ

57

.HONG KONG AGREEMENT

.(RESTRICTED)

LIMITED

HKD

HD/FED

RESEARCH (FE)

PUSD

NEWS D

PS/MR MAUDE

PS/LORD BRABAZON

MR GILLMORE

MR MCLAREN

ADDITIONAL

3

MR WHOMERSLEY LEGAL ADVISERS

MS BARRETT LEGAL ADVISERS

NNNN

MR FIFOOT LEGAL ADVISERS

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