SECRET
84
122454
MDHIAN 5883
SECRET
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
HKC 34
RECL
TELNO 1045
Pa
OF 26114OZ MARCH 90
26 MAR 1990
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING
pr
TRY
INFO PRIORITY UKREP JLG HONG KONG
aun Takon
YOUR TELNOS 621, 622, 623 AND 642: UK NATIONALITY SCHEME: BRIEFING THE CHINESE
1. MY THREE IFTS CONTAIN OUR COMMENTS ON THE DRAFT SPEAKING NOTES IN SECOND, THIRD AND FOURTH TURS. GIVEN THE SHORTAGE OF TIME WE HAVE ALSO BEGUN CONSOLIDATION THE FIVE NOTES WITH A VIEW TO REMOVING ANY UNNECESSARY REPETITION. ASSUMING WE RECEIVE YOUR COMMENTS ON OUR DRAFTS, TOGETHER WITH ANY FURTHER COMMENTS ON THE PROPOSALS IN IFTS DESKBY 27010OZ, OUR AIM WOULD BE TO TELEGRAPH A CONSOLIDATED TEXT BY CLOSE OF PLAY HONG KONG TIME TOMORROW CI.E. 27100OZ). IN ADDITION TO THIS, THERE WILL BE A NEED FOR A COMPREHENSIVE Q AND A BRIEF. DURING HIS VISIT WE GAVE MR LLOYD A LIST OF POSSIBLE QUESTIONS (SENT TO PAUL, HKD BY FAX ON 21 MARCH).
2. YOU WILL RECALL THAT IN HIS TELNO 23 HMA PEKING SUGGESTED WE
SHOULD AIM TO GIVE THE CHINESE A WORKING WEEK'S NOTICE OF THE PUBLICATION OF THE SCHEME. GIVEN THAT IT SEEMS LIKELY THAT THE BILL WILL BE TABLED IN PARLIAMENT ON 3 OR 4 APRIL, IT IS CLEARLY MOST URGENT THAT WE NOW FINALISE A PLAN OF ACTION HERE AND IN PEKING. SPECIFICALLY, AND WITH REFERENCE TO PARA 3 OF YOUR TELNO 537, GRATEFUL TO KNOW :
(A) WHETHER STEPS A AND B HAVE BEEN TAKEN:
(B) HOW SOON YOU CONSIDER DETAILED BRIEFING OF THE CHINESE COULD TAKE PLACE: AND
(C) WHETHER THE BRIEFINGS IN PEKING AND HONG KONG SHOULD TAKE PLACE IN PARALLEL, OR WITH HMA PEKING APPROACHING THE MFA FIRST, FOLLOWED BY A MORE INFORMAL BRIEFING THROUGH THE JLG CHANNEL IN HONG KONG ONE OR TWO DAYS LATER. ON BALANCE WE FAVOUR THE LATTER.
3. WITH REGARD TO PARA 2(A) ABOVE YOU WILL WISH TO KNOW THAT THIS MORNING'S HONG KONG STANDARD (26 MARCH) REPORTS IN ITS LEAD STORY THAT THE PRIME MINISTER SUMMONED THE CHINESE AMBASSADOR ON FRIDAY
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