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HKB 00/5
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FM HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 3725
OF 271116Z NOVEMBER 91
INFO PRIORITY PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
031702
MDLIAN 7396
©
PERSONAL FOR RICKETTS HKD FROM GOVERNOR.
5
YOUR TELNO 2063: DISCUSSIONS WITH THE CHINESE ON PRINCIPAL OFFICIALS.
1. AS YOU KNOW, THIS WAS ONE OF THE SUBJECTS THAT I WAS THINKING OF RAISING WITH LU PING DURING MY MEETING WITH HIM IN JANUARY. IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO HAVE A CLEARER IDEA OF THE ARGUMENTS BEING PUT FORWARD AGAINST THIS. ON THE FACE OF IT, THE SUGGESTION THAT THERE MIGHT BE SEVERAL YEARS OF DIFFICULT DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THIS SUBJECT, WHICH I ACCEPT IS POSSIBLE, SEEMS TO BE AN ARGUMENT FOR STARTING DISCUSSION EARLIER RATHER THAN LATER.
2. I AM ALSO, FRANKLY, PUZZLED BY THE REFERENCE TO THE GENERAL ELECTION. IT IS NOT CLEAR FROM HERE WHAT RELEVANCE THIS HAS TO DISCUSSIONS WHICH BY THEIR VERY NATURE ARE INTENDED TO REMAIN STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL. EVEN IF ONE MAKES THE ASSUMPTION THAT ANYTHING DISCUSSED WITH THE CHINESE WILL LEAK, WE MUST SURELY BEWARE OF GETTING INTO A WASHINGTON-LIKE SITUATION WHERE EVERYTHING GOES ON HOLD FOR SEVERAL MONTHS BEFORE AN ELECTION.
3. I AM ALSO PUZZLED BY THE REFERENCE TO LEGCO IN THE FIRST TIRET
OF PARA 2 OF TUR:-
(A) WE ARE NOT, CERTAINLY AT THIS STAGE, TALKING ABOUT JOINT SELECTION OF PRINCIPAL OFFICIALS. RATHER, OUR AIM IS TO ENSURE THAT WE MAXIMISE THE POSSIBILITY OF CONTINUITY IN 1997 BY ENSURING THAT WE HAVE A CLEAR IDEA OF WHO WOULD NOT BE ACCEPTABLE TO THE CHINESE AFTER THAT DATE. AT SOME STAGE NEARER 1997, WE SHALL BE IN A POSITION WHERE TACIT UNDERSTANDINGS AMOUNT TO
SOMETHING CLOSE TO JOINT SELECTION. THIS WILL BE THE PRICE FOR CONTINUITY - OF COURSE SOME PEOPLE WILL SAY THE CHINESE ARE INTERFERING. BUT WHICH IS BETTER, THAT CRITICISM OR NO CONTINUITY? CAN THE ISSUE IN ANY CASE BE AVOIDED?
(B) THERE SEEMS TO BE AN INCREASING TENDENCY IN LONDON TO ASSUME
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