CONFIDENTIAL
19
153556
MDHIAN 2106
CONFIDENTIAL
FM PEKING
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 790
OF 250824Z MAY 90
HKB 177
རྞ
0 1 JUN 1990
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
is
YOUR TELNO 422 : INCIDENT ON 3 MAY IN HONG KONG
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DESPITE INITIAL RELUCTANCE FROM THE MFA TO TALK TO US ON THIS SUBJECT, WE WERE EVENTUALLY ABLE TO ARRANGE A CALL ON 25 MAY. IN THE ABSENCE OF POLITICAL COUNSELLOR, HOARE TOOK ACTION AS INSTRUCTED IN TUR WITH CHENG RUOYU, FIRST SECRETARY HKMAO.
2. CHENG REPLIED THAT THE GUANGDONG AUTHORITIES HAD ALREADY MADE CLEAR THE CHINESE SIDE'S POSITION ON THIS AFFAIR, AND HE DID NOT WANT TO REPEAT IT. IN THE PAST SUCH PROBLEMS HAD BEEN RESOLVED THROUGH BORDER LIAISON MEETINGS, AND THIS PROBLEM SHOULD BE SOLVED IN THE SAME WAY. CHENG DID NOT/NOT THINK IT NECESSARY AT PRESENT TO RESOLVE THIS PROBLEM THROUGH THE DIPLOMATIC CHANNEL. AS FAR AS HE WAS AWARE, THE GUANGDONG AUTHORITIES WERE TAKING A FAIR AND REASONABLE ATTITUDE IN SEEKING A SOLUTION. ON THE OTHER HAND THE HONG KONG SIDE HAD CRITICISED THE CHINESE SIDE IN THE PRESS WITHOUT FIRST SEEKING A CLARIFICATION OF THE FACTS AND HAD THUS MISLED THE PUBLIC AND CAUSED ADVERSE SOCIAL EFFECTS. THE CHINESE SIDE BELIEVED THAT THE PROBLEM COULD BE SOLVED IF THE BRITISH SIDE SHOWED SINCERITY AND DISCUSSED THE FACTS WITH THE GUANGDONG AUTHORITIES. CHENG UNDERTOOK TO REPORT WHAT HOARE HAD SAID AND RESERVED THE RIGHT TO MAKE FURTHER COMMENTS.
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HOARE REITERATED THAT IT WAS ALSO OUR DESIRE TO HAVE TALKS BETWEEN THE RELEVANT AUTHORITIES AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. WE WOULD BE GRATEFUL IF THE MFA COULD TELL THE GUANGDONG AUTHORITIES THAT IT WOULD BE HELPFUL IF THEY COULD AGREE TO DATES. ON CHENG'S POINT ABOUT PRESS COVERAGE, HOARE POINTED OUT THAT THE PRESS IN HONG KONG WAS FREE AND IT WAS NOT POSSIBLE FOR US TO SUPPRESS IT.
COMMENT
4. CHENG WAS CLEARLY READING FROM A PREPARED STATEMENT. IT REMAINS TO BE SEEN WHETHER OUR APPROACH WILL GALVANISE THE MFA INTO PRESSURING THE GUANGDONG AUTHORITIES TO AGREE TO A DATE FOR TALKS.
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