TNAG-2242-FCO40-3223-Most-favoured-nation-status-for-China-impact-on-Hong-Kong-1991 — Page 11

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FM

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TELNO

6 TELNO

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4 FM FCO

5 TO IMMEDIATE PEKING

7 OF 07162OZ MAY 91

8 INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG, WASHINGTON

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10 FROM FED

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12 FCO TELNO 857: MFN STATUS FOR CHINA:

APPROACH TO THE CHINESE

13

141.

We have been giving (some thought to involving the Chinese in 15 some way in a joint endeavour on this issue. We should be

16 grateful for your views on how best to do this.

앤

17 thinking is on the following lines.

18

Our current

19 2.

We should instruct you to approach the Chinese at a suitably 20 senior level. You would refer to the discussions on the subject 21 during the Secretary of State's visit, notably with Premier Li

You would say that:

Day

22 Peng.

23

24

The UK and China share a joint interest in MFN extension and

25 that for our part we intend to press the US hard on behalf of

26 Hong Kong;

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// 27

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But much of the solution lies in Chinese hands; we cannot 29 expect to win the battle simply by calling attention to Hong

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