TNAG-2106-FCO40-3004-Sino-British-Joint-Liaison-Group-office-1990 — Page 24

RESTRICTED

FM HONG KONG

RESTRICTED

HKCOBIL

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

18 JAN 1990

DESK OFFICER

REGISTRY

TO PRIORITY FCO

INDEX

PA

Action Taken

TELNO 128

A

OF 10110OZ JANUARY 90

PM.

INFO PRIORITY PEKING, UKREP JLG-HONG-

0

001621

MDLIAN 9204

RETIREMENT OF KE ZAISHUO

LAST NIGHT'S TELEVISION NEWS AND CERTAIN OF THIS MORNING'S PAPERS CARRY REPORTS THAT KE WILL RETIRE AS THE CHINESE SENIOR REPRESENTATIVE ON THE JLG, PROBABLY WHEN HE RETURNS TO PEKING IN FEBRUARY FOR THE LAST PLENARY SESSION OF HE BLDC. KE WAS REPORTED TO HAVE SAID THAT HIS RETIREMENT WAS DUE TO THE STRICT

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE POLICY OF TIMELY RETIREMENT. IT WAS ALSO REPORTED THAT KE WOULD BE REPLACED BY GUO FENGMIN AND GUO BY CHEN

ZIYING.

COMMENT

2. THERE HAS SO FAR BEEN NO SPECULATION IN THE LOCAL MEDIA AS TO THE POSSIBLE SIGNIFICANCE OF KE'S IMMINENT REPLACEMENT, NEW OF WHICH COMES HARD ON THE HEELS OF RUMOURS THAT XU JIATUN WILL ALSO BE REPLACED IN THE NEAR FUTURE. WE AND UKREP JLG WOULD BE MOST INTERESTED IN PEKING'S VIEW ON THIS LATEST DEVELOPMENT. WE ARE REPLYING SEPARATELY TO YOUR TELNO 85.

FORD

YYYY

ΜΑΙΝ

59

DISTRIBUTION

63

.HONG KONG AGREEMENT

.(RESTRICTED)

LIMITED

HKD

HD/FED

RESEARCH (FE)

PUSD

NEWS D

PS/MR MAUDE

PS/LORD BRABAZON

MR GILLMORE

MR MCLAREN

MR BLATHERWICK

MR MOSS

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