CONFIDENTIAL
070035
232
MDHIAN
UNDER HONG KONG LAW.'
6. DEPUTY POLITICAL ADVISER TELEPHONED YUANG YOUYONG IN NCNA TO INFORM HIM THAT THIS IS THE WORDING WE WOULD USE. HE STRESSED THAT WE HAD SOUGHT TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THEIR CONCERNS AND HAD DRAWN UPON THE WORDING USED IN THEIR OWN COMMENT. HE SAID HOWEVER THAT WE COULD NOT SIMPLY NOT ANSWER FACTUAL QUESTIONS. YANG REPEATED THAT PEKING TOOK THE IDEA OF ANY STATEMENT 'VERY SERIOUSLY'. THEY WERE CONCERNED THAT REMARKS ABOUT THEIR STATUS MIGHT PROVOKE FURTHER TERRORIST ATTACKS. HE REQUESTED THAT ANY STATEMENT BE WITHHELD UNTIL THEY CHECKED AGAIN WITH PEKING. DPA SAID HE COULD NOT UNDERTAKE TO DO THIS: THOUGH IN PRACTICE WE WILL NOT BE ISSUING ANYTHING UNTIL TOMORROW.
7. WE CANNOT CONTINUE SIMPLY TO LEAVE THE ATV QUESTION UNANSWERED. WE THEREFORE PROPOSE TO GIVE THE ANSWERS IN PARA 5 ABOVE TOMORROW AFTERNOON, 15 NOVEMBER, UNLESS YOU SEE OBJECTION.
COMMENT
8. WE ARE VERY PUZZLED AT NCNA'S CONCERN. WE SHOULD HAVE THOUGHT THAT ANY SUGGESTION THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE DIPLOMATIC STATUS (WHILE POSTED IN WHAT THEY CONSIDER ANOTHER PART OF CHINA) WOULD BE MORE OFFENSIVE. THE COMMENT ABOUT 'FURTHER TERRORIST ATTACKS', EVIDENTLY REFERRING TO THE 'SHOOTING INCIDENT'
SEEMS VERY EXCESSIVE.
WILSON
EARLY THIS YEAR
YYYY
MAIN
58
.HONG KONG AGREEMENT
. (RESTRICTED)
LIMITED
HKD
HD/FED
NEWS D
ADDITIONAL
3
MS FOAKES LEGAL ADVISERS MS BARRETT LEGAL AINISERS
~~~~
DISTRIBUTION
61
PUSD
RAD
PS/LORD CAITHNESS
PS/MR LENNOX-BOYD
MR MCLAREN
MR BURNS
MR FIFOOT LEGAL ADVISERS
2
PAGE CONFIDENTIAL
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