TNAG-2174-FCO40-3111-Hong-Kong-Bill-of-Rights-1990 — Page 78

CONFIDENTIAL

002610

MDLIAN 6346

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELNO 1758

OF 05065OZ JUNE 90

HKD241

- 5 JUN 1990

!

INFO ROUTINE PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG, BTC HONG KONG

138)

HONGEKE

YOUR TELNO 106T AND PEKING TELNO 815 BILL OF RIGHTS

(142)

Tel est

1. THE REPORT IN THE HONG KONG ECONOMIC TIMES HAS NOT ACHIEVED ANY CURRENCY HERE, AND WE DO NOT THINK THAT IT WOULD BE SENSIBLE TO RESPOND SPECIFICALLY TO IT. THIS WOULD MERELY DRAW ATTENTION TO THE PIECE. HOWEVER, GALSWORTHY SAID AT HIS PRESS CONFERENCE AFTER JLG XV, IN RESPONSE TO ALLEGATIONS THAT WE WERE RELUCTANT TO DISCUSS THE SUBJECT WITH THE CHINESE, THAT WE WERE INDEED DISCUSSING IT WITH THEM, AND HAD BEEN FOR SOME TIME. HE ALSO SAID THAT THE CHINESE HAD NOT AS YET PROVIDED ANY SPECIFIC IDEAS. OUR WILLINGNESS TO DISCUSS THE SUBJECT WITH THE CHINESE CLEARLY SHOULD BE PART OF THE STANDARD BRIEFING KIT FOR PRESS OFFICERS BOTH IN HONG KONG AND LONDON.

2. AS YOU SAY, UKREP JLG HAVE BEEN APPLYING CONSTANT PRESSURE TO THE CHINESE TO PRODUCE IDEAS ON THIS SUBJECT. WE BELIEVE THAT THE CHINESE JLG OFFICE WOULD LIKE TO DO SO. LATEST INDICATIONS HOWEVER ARE THAT THE MFA LAWYERS IN PEKING ARE SAYING THAT THEY CANNOT PRODUCE A DEFINITIVE VIEW ON THE BILL OF RIGHTS UNTIL THEY KNOW WHAT CONSEQUENTIAL CHANGES ARE NECESSARY TO HONG KONG LEGISLATION. THE ANSWER TO THIS, AS GALSWORTHY HAS ALREADY TOLD GUO, IS THAT THE CONSEQUENTIAL CHANGES DO NOT ARISE FROM THE BILL OF RIGHTS BUT FROM THE COVENANTS THEMSELVES, AND WOULD BE NECESSARY WITH OR WITHOUT A BILL OF RIGHTS.

3. WE AGREE THAT IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO STEP UP THE PRESSURE ON THE CHINESE TO PRODUCE ANY VIEWS THEY MAY HAVE ON THE BILL, AND THAT THE BEST WAY OF DOING IT WOULD BE FOR AN APPROACH TO BE MADE BY THE EMBASSY TO CHEN ZIYING. WE WOULD HOWEVER PREFER IT NOT TO BE TAILORED SPECIFICALLY TO THE HONG KONG ECONOMIC TIMES REPORT.

4. THE MFA ARE LIKELY IN RESPONSE TO PRESS FOR US TO AGREE TO QUOTE FORMAL CONSULTATION UNQUOTE ON THE BILL, BY WHICH THEY MEAN IN PRACTICE AN AGREEMENT NOT TO TAKE IT FURTHER UNTIL AGREEMENT HAS BEEN REACHED IN THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP. IN RESPONSE TO THIS UKREP JLG HAVE BEEN TAKING THE LINE THAT WE HAVE BEEN CONSULTING THE

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