CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO
TO PRIORITY WASHINGTON
TELNO 192
OF 30111OZ JANUARY 91
AND TO PRIORITY HONG KONG
INFO ROUTINE PEKING
CONFIDENTIAL
MAEB 040/4
TOP CO Q DIJJY?
mi
174003
MDLOAN 0360
CHINA/US RELATIONS: MFN STATUS
-
1 DURING THE RECENT VISIT OF THE GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG TO PEKING, THE QUESTION OF CHINA/US RELATIONS AROSE IN THE COURSE OF THE MEETING BETWEEN THE GOVERNOR AND THE MINISTER OF FOREIGN ECONOMIC RELATIONS AND TRADE, LI LANQING.
2.
LI, IN EXPRESSING THANKS FOR ALL THE HELP HONG KONG HAD GIVEN IN ARGUING THE CASE FOR RETENTION OF MFN, POINTED OUT THAT THE PROBLEM WAS COMING ROUND AGAIN AND SAID THAT FURTHER HELP
WOULD BE APPRECIATED.
3.
THE GOVERNOR REPLIED THAT IT WAS IN OUR COMMON INTERESTS TO SEE CHINA RETAIN MFN, BOTH BECAUSE CHINA'S PROSPERITY HELPED HONG KONG GENERALLY, AND BECAUSE OF THE VOLUME OF US/CHINA TRADE PASSING THROUGH HONG KONG. HE ADDED, HOWEVER, THAT A LOT OF CONGRESSMEN WERE CONCERNED MORE WITH THE POLITICAL ASPECTS OF MFN. LI SAID THAT CHINA HAD GOOD RELATIONS WITH THE US GOVERNMENT BUT NOT THE CONGRESS. HE ASKED THE GOVERNOR TO SUGGEST PEOPLE WHOM THEY MIGHT INVITE TO VISIT CHINA. THE GOVERNOR SAID HE WOULD BE HAPPY TO SUGGEST SOME NAMES.
4. WE THINK THAT THIS WOULD BE A USEFUL INITIATIVE. SUBJECT TO ANY FURTHER VIEWS HONG KONG MIGHT HAVE, WE SHOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR YOUR ADVICE ON NAMES, WHICH MIGHT THEN BE PASSED TO LI ON BEHALF OF THE GOVERNOR.
HURD
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Mr
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Stage. :) My Na
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CONFIDENTIAL
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