TNAG-2115-FCO40-3018-16th-meeting-of-the-Sino-British-Joint-Liaison-Group--London-1990 — Page 126

RESTRICTED

FM UKREP JLG HONG KONG

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELNO 266

OF 16033OZ AUGUST 90

RESTRICTED

HKC031/20

25 SEP 1990

PERSONAL FOR PAUL HKD FROM GALSWORTHY

TOP COPY QPIST?

YOUR TELNO 84: JLG XVI ATTENDANCE OF LEICESTER

26

073421 MDLIAN 3794

ра

p." (√ 24/8

1. AS YOU KNOW WE HAD ACCEPTED, THOUGH RELUCTANTLY, YOUR DECISION THAT LEICESTER SHOULD NOT ATTEND JLG XVI. HOWEVER, THE PICTURE HAS NOW CHANGED. AT THE EXPERT MEETINGS ON COURT OF FINAL APPEAL IT WAS DECIDED THAT THERE SHOULD BE FURTHER EXPERT MEETINGS ON THE SUBJECT DURING JLG XVI. THESE MEETINGS WILL BE CRITICAL TO THE OUTCOME OF JLG XVI, IN THAT CFA IS THE SUBJECT ON WHICH WE ARE MOST LIKELY TO BE ABLE TO MAKE THE SORT OF PROGRESS WHICH WILL PRODUCE TANGIBLE RESULTS. LEICESTER IS A MEMBER OF THE EXPERT TEAM ON THE BRITISH SIDE, AND THE ONLY UK MEMBER, THE REST BEING HONG KONG GOVERNMENT. SUTTILL, THE LEADER OF THE TEAM HAS ASKED ME THAT LEICESTER SHOULD BE AVAILABLE FOR THE EXPERT MEETINGS IN LONDON. I AM SURE THAT WE MUST AGREE TO THIS FOR TWO REASONS:

I)

LEICESTER PROVIDES THE ONLY UK CHINESE SPEAKING INPUT AND IS AN ESSENTIAL MEMBER OF THE TEAM ON WHOM SUTTILL RELIES CLOSELY

II) FAILURE TO AGREE WOULD GIVE A DEPLORABLE IMPRESSION TO THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OF THE SERIOUSNESS WITH WHICH WE TAKE THESE TALKS.

2. I AM SORRY TO REOPEN THIS MATTER BUT IN THE LIGHT OF THE ABOVE, I AM NOW CONVINCED THAT LEICESTER'S ATTENDANCE IS ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL, AND I HOPE THAT YOU WILL BE ABLE TO FIND THE FUNDS.

3. YOU MAY LIKE TO KNOW THAT LEICESTER IS NOT DUE TO LEAVE HONG KONG UNTIL EARLY NEXT YEAR.

GALSWORTHY

YYYY

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Minute for Mr Paul

to Mr Burns.