CONFIDENTIAL
057641
MDHIAN 4151
NEED TO CONCEDE THAT THE POSTS OF DIRECTOR OF IMMIGRATION AND THE
COMMISSIONER OF CUSTOMS AND EXCISE BE ADDED TO PARA 1 OF ARTICLE
100 OF THE BL. I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT OUR APPROACH SHOULD ALSO
CONTAIN THE FOLLOWING ELEMENTS :
A) CONCEDE THAT IT WAS UNFORTUNATE THAT WE WERE UNABLE TO GIVE THE
CHINESE MORE ADVANCED NOTICE OF THE PACKAGE :
B) EXPLAIN THE PURPOSE AND CONTENTS OF THE PACKAGE,
INCLUDING OUR
VIEW THAT IT DOES NOT BREACH OUR MEMORANDUM ON NATIONALITY :
C) SHOW SENSITIVITY TO CHINESE CONCERNS ON ALLEGIANCE, ADDRESSING THEIR SUSPICIONS HEAD ON AND GIVING WHAT ASSURANCES WE CAN :
D) EXPLAIN CLEARLY THE BENEFITS OF THE PACKAGE TO THE FUTURE STABILITY AND PROSPERITY OF HONG KONG, AND THUS TO CHINA, PARTICULARLY THE IMPORTANCE OF RETAINING AS MANY EXPERIENCED CIVIL
SERVANTS AS POSSIBLE IN THE FLEDGLING SAR CIVIL SERVICE.
7. ON THE QUESTION OF TIMING, I AGREE WITH TUR THAT WE SHOULD NOT/NOT APPROACH THE CHINESE UNTIL WE HAVE COMPLETED DISCUSSIONS ON POLITICAL STRUCTURE. TO DO SO WOULD RISK THE CHINESE EXPLICITLY
LINKING CONCESSIONS ON THE POLITICAL STRUCTURE TO CONCESSIONS BY
US ON NATIONALITY. I ALSO BELIEVE THAT THE CHINESE ATTITUDE TO THE NATIONALITY PROBLEM WILL BE DEPENDENT ON WHETHER WE REACH AGREEMENT ON POLITICAL STRUCTURE. UNTIL THE LATTER IS RESOLVED, THEY ARE UNLIKELY TO SHOW A POSITIVE ATTITUDE ON NATIONALITY. AT
THE SAME TIME WE NEED TO HAVE MADE AT LEAST THE INITIAL APPROACH BEFORE BLDC IX MEETS ON 12 FEBRUARY. THIS ALSO ARGUES FOR RESOLUTION OF THE POLITICAL STRUCTURE PROBLEM AS SOON AS POSSILE.
8. I RECOMMEND THAT WHEN WE ARE READY TO APPROACH THE CHINESE, I SHOULD DO SO WITH AMBASSADOR CHEN ZIYING. ZHOU NAN'S PORTFOLIO IS TO BE TAKEN OVER BY VICE MINISTER QI HUAIYUAN BUT HE MAY NOT YET BE FULLY BRIEFED ON HONG KONG MATTERS. IN THE IMMEDIATE FUTURE, BOTH NCNA AND THE CHINESE JLG OFFICE ARE LIKELY TO BE SOMEWHAT DISORGANISED BY THE POSTINGS OF NEW DIRECTORS.
DONALD
YYYY
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