CONFIDENTIAL
Redacted under FOI Exemption S 27(1)
CONFIDENTIAL
FM UKREP JLG HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 178
OF 2703532 JUN 90
HKC040/1
28 JUN 1990
DESK OFF..
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING, HONG KONdNDER
28.
10
076513
MDHIAN 6649
TOP COPY Q DIST?
HKD PLEASE PASS I SIR DAVID WILSON
3
YOUR TELNOS 1206-1207 TO HONG KONG: JLG SUBJECT CHECKLIST
1. I CAN WELL UNDERSTAND MR MAUDE'S WISH TO HAND OVER THE FIRST JLG CHECKLIST, AND, AS I HAVE ALREADY SAID, I SEE ADVANTAGE IN HANDING OVER A LIMITED LIST. BUT I AM SERIOUSLY WORRIED ABOUT THE WISDOM OF DOING IT IN THE WAY PROPOSED: IE AS AN INITIATIVE AT MINISTERIAL LEVEL DURING MR MAUDE'S VISIT.
2. I FEAR THAT THE PRESENTATION OF SUCH A LIST OUT OF THE BLUE IN PEKING WOULD CAUSE CONSIDERABLE RESENTMENT WITH OUR CHINESE OPPOSITE NUMBERS HERE, AND RISK DAMAGING THE WORKING RELATIONSHIP WE ARE TRYING TO BUILD UP WITH THEM. THEY WILL FEEL, PERHAPS UNDERSTANDABLY, THAT IF WE ARE PRODUCING IDEAS ON OUR FUTURE PROGRAMME OF WORK, PARTICULARLY ON ROUTINE BUSINESS, WE SHOULD FIRST DISCUSS THEM WITH THEM RATHER THAN, AS THEY WILL SEE IT, GOING OVER THEIR HEADS IN PEKING. FOR THESE REASONS, IF IT IS AGREED THAT A LIST SHOULD BE HANDED OVER, I VERY MUCH HOPE THAT I COULD GIVE IT TO GUO FENGMIN IN ADVANCE OF MR MAUDE'S VISIT, AND THAT MR MAUDE WOULD THEN BE WILLING TO USE IT AS MATERIAL IN SUPPORT OF THE POINTS I HOPE HE WILL MAKE ON THE URGENCY OF GETTING ON WITH JLG WORK RATHER THAN AS A SUBSTANTIVE INITIATIVE IN ITS OWN RIGHT.
3. THE SECOND DANGER IN THIS LIST, WHEREVER IT IS HANDED OVER, IS THAT, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF SELECTION OF PRINCIPAL OFFICIALS CON WHICH SEE BELOW) IT CONSISTS OF SUBJECTS WHICH THE CHINESE WILL SEE AS ROUTINE. THEY ARE NOT THE AREAS WHICH HAVE BEEN IN CHINESE MINDS WHEN THEY HAVE BEEN URGING GREATER CONSULTATION. IF IT IS GIVEN TOO MUCH STATUS, FAR FROM HELPING TO CONVINCE THEM WE ARE TAKING SERIOUSLY THEIR CALLS FOR GREATER COOPERATION, THERE IS A DANGER THAT IT WILL REINFORCE THEIR VIEW THAT WE ARE TRYING TO GET THE JLG BOGGED DOWN IN WHAT THEY REGARD AS RELATIVELY MINOR MATTERS AND TO KEEP IT OFF THE IMPORTANT MATTERS WHICH THEY WISH TO
DISCUSS.
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CONFIDENTIAL
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