TNAG-2209-FCO40-3169-Future-of-Hong-Kong-principal-officials-1991 — Page 64

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HKCB CIO/S

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TO PRIORITY HONG KONG

TELNO 2063

OF 261715Z NOVEMBER 91

INFO PRIORITY UKREP JLG HONG KONG, PEKING

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PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR, FROM RICKETTS, HKD

DISCUSSIONS WITH THE CHINESE ON PRINCIPAL OFFICIALS

1. IN ADVANCE OF LORD CAITHNESS' VISIT TO CHINA AND OF

CHEN ZIYING'S VISIT TO HONG KONG, I PUT A NOTE TO LORD CAITHNESS SUMMARIZING THE PREVIOUS EXCHANGES WITH THE CHINESE ON THIS ISSUE IN 1988 AND EARLY 1989, AND POINTING OUT THAT

CHEN ZIYING'S VISIT FOR BRIEFINGS ON THE CIVIL SERVICE WAS INTENDED AS A FIRST STEP TOWARDS RE-ENGAGING THE DIALOGUE WITH THE CHINESE ON THIS GENERAL ISSUE.

BUT I

2. LORD CAITHNESS WAS CONTENT WITH THIS GENERAL APPROACH. WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT THERE WAS A STRONG FEELING HERE THAT WE SHOULD THINK LONG AND HARD BEFORE MOVING ON TO MORE SPECIFIC DISCUSSIONS WITH THE CHINESE ABOUT THE CONTINUITY OF PRINCIPAL OFFICIALS THROUGH 1997 GIVEN:

THE LIKELIHOOD THAT THERE WOULD BE SERIOUS PROBLEMS WITH LEGCO OVER ANY SUGGESTION OF DISCUSSING WITH THE CHINESE JOINT SELECTION OF PRINCIPAL OFFICIALS BEFORE 1997.

THE NEED TO LINK CONSIDERATION OF THIS SUBJECT TO THE QUESTION OF THE FIRST CHIEF EXECUTIVE.

- THE LIKELIHOOD THAT THE CHINESE WOULD HAVE VERY DIFFERENT OBJECTIVES TO OUR OWN AND THAT THERE MIGHT BE SEVERAL YEARS OF DIFFICULT DISCUSSIONS WITH THEM. APART FROM THE FACT THAT WE ALREADY HAVE PLENTY ON OUR PLATES WITH THE CHINESE, IT WAS SUGGESTED THAT WE SHOULD THINK WHETHER IT WOULD BE BETTER TO LAUNCH DISCUSSION AT ONE OF THE SIX-MONTHLY FOREIGN MINISTERS MEETINGS RATHER THAN IN DIRECT DISCUSSIONS BETWEEN HKG AND THE CHINESE.

3. IN SHORT, THE GENERAL VIEW HERE IS THAT THIS IS NOT AN ISSUE TO BE TAKEN FURTHER WITH THE CHINESE THIS SIDE OF THE GENERAL

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