TNAG-2227-FCO40-3199-Political-relations-between-Hong-Kong-and-Commonwealth-count-1991 — Page 95

85

CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO

TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

TELNO 1658

OF 12180OZ SEPTEMBER 91

:

CONFIDENTIAL

2240/11

OP COPY Q DIST?

13 C....

ED

одато

AND TO IMMEDIATE PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG

21

114630

MDHOAN 0588

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INFO PRIORITY OTTAWA, CANBERRA, WELLINGTON, SINGAPORE, NEW DELHI INFO PRIORITY HARARE, ISLAMABAD

CHOGM COMMUNIQUE: HONG KONG

1.

YOU WILL RECALL THAT IN 1989 WE WERE KEEN FOR INFORMAL DISCUSSION AT CHOGM OF HONG KONG POST-TIANANMEN. WE PRESSED FOR, AND ACHIEVED, A POSITIVE REFERENCE TO HONG KONG IN THE COMMUNIQUE. THE CHINESE PROTESTED THROUGH DIPLOMATIC CHANNELS AND PUBLICLY ABOUT THIS INTERNATIONALISATION OF THE QUESTION

OF HONG KONG. THEY ALSO LOBBIED SOME COMMONWEALTH COUNTRIES IN AN ATTEMPT TO AVERT ANY MENTION OF HONG KONG.

2.

WE NOW NEED TO CONSIDER HOW TO PLAY THIS AT THIS YEAR'S CHOGM (16-22 OCTOBER, HARARE). FOR GENERAL REASONS THIS YEAR WE ARE SEEKING A MUCH SHORTER COMMUNIQUE THAN IN RECENT YEARS. IF THE REGIONAL ISSUES SECTION CAN BE CONFINED TO A COUPLE OF PARAGRAPHS WE DO NOT THINK IT NECESSARY TO PRESS FOR A REFERENCE TO HONG KONG. HOWEVER IF WE END UP WITH ANOTHER FULL COMMUNIQUE OMISSION OF HONG KONG WOULD NO DOUBT BE NOTICED AND BE READ AS A

BRITISH CONCESSION TO CHINESE PRESSURE. IT MIGHT BE WORTH

SEEKING A REFERENCE ON THE FOLLOWING LINES:

''HEADS OF GOVERNMENT STRESSED THE IMPORTANCE OF HONG KONG'S CONTINUED SUCCESS AS AN INTERNATIONAL TRADING AND FINANCIAL CENTRE. THEY WELCOMED THE REAFFIRMATION BY CHINA AND BRITAIN OF THEIR COMMITMENT TO THE FULL IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SINO-BRITISH JOINT DECLARATION ON THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG, THE SUCCESS OF WHICH WAS VITAL TO THE MAINTENANCE OF INTERNATIONAL CONFIDENCE

IN HONG KONG.

3.

THIS FORMULATION IS AN ABBREVIATION OF THAT USED IN OCTOBER 1989. IT OMITS THE REFERENCE TO HONG KONG PEOPLE'S ''CONCERNS' AND TO THEIR ''LONG-ESTABISHED PARTICIPATION' IN COMMONWEALTH ACTIVITIES, BOTH OF WHICH WOULD NO DOUBT BE PARTICULARLY UNWELCOME IN PEKING AND WHICH IN THE PRESENT ATMOSPHERE ARE LESS NECESSARY FROM OUR POINT OF VIEW.

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