SECRET
(90
125653 MDHIAN 6039
SECRET
FM HONG KONG
TO DESKBY 27110OZ FCO
TELNO 1060
OF 27100OZ MARCH 90
HKC340
KECE
REGISTRY
UKREP-G MAR 1990
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING, UKREP... JLG "HONG KONG
live
REGISTRY
ution Taken
YOUR TELNO 653: UK NATIONALITY SCHEME
SCHEME: BRIEFING THE CHINESE
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M(27/3
1. WE HAVE CONSOLIDATED THE VARIOUS SPEAKING NOTES AND HAVE MADE SOME AMENDMENTS DESIGNED TO IMPROVE THE FLOW. A COPY OF THE TEXT IS BEING FAXED TO YOU AND PEKING. WE ARE NOW WORKING ON A CHINESE TRANSLATION, BUT THIS WILL NOT BE FINISHED IN TIME FOR THE BRIEFING IN PEKING. IF THE MFA ASK FOR A TRANSLATION, HMA, PEKING WILL HAVE TO OFFER TO HAND ONE OVER LATER IN THE WEEK.
2. THE ONLY Q AND A MATERIAL WE ARE AWARE OF IS THAT PREPARED FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR HIS ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE SCHEME IN PARLIAMENT ON 20 DECEMBER. WHILST THIS IS USEFUL, WE FEEL THAT IT DOES NOT PROVIDE ENOUGH INFORMATION FOR US TO ANSWER THE TYPE OF DETAILED QUESTIONS THE CHINESE MAY ASK. IN PARTICULAR, WE CONSIDER THAT AN EXTENSIVE DEFENSIVE LINE ON THE IMPLICATIONS FOR THE CIVIL SERVICE IS REQUIRED. UNDOUBTEDLY, THIS IS ONE OF THE ASPECTS OF THE SCHEME IN WHICH THE CHINESE WILL SHOW INTEREST. WE ARE FAXING TO YOU AND PEKING A LIST OF POSSIBLE QUESTIONS WHICH WE PREPARED EARLIER, AND WHICH IT OCCURS TO US THE CHINESE MAY ASK. THIS IS A VERY FULL LIST, BUT WE THINK THAT IT WOULD BE ADVISABLE FOR UKREP JLG TO BE BRIEFED AT LEAST TO ANSWER THE MORE IMPORTANT ONES, SHOULD THEY BE RAISED DURING HIS BRIEFING ON 30 MARCH. WE THINK YOU ARE PROBABLY BEST PLACED TO SUGGEST ANSWERS. ALTERNATIVELY, IF YOU CONSIDER THAT IT WOULD NOT BE APPROPRIATE TO REVEAL TO THE CHINESE SUCH DETAILED INFORMATION AT THIS STAGE, WE WOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR A DEFENSIVE LINE.
WILSON
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