CONFIDENTIAL
FM PEKING
TO DESKBY 21083OZ F C O
CONFIDENTIAL
Mar
REC.
DES
102
045413
MDHIAN 7554
1090/4
& 15100
22 MAY
JA
TELNO 753
OF 210632Z MAY 91
INFO DESKBY 21080OZ HONG KONG
INFO IMMEDIATE ROME, ACTOR, WASHINGTON
WASHINGTON TELNO 2 TO ROME : CHINA : MESSAGE TO ITALIAN FOREIGN MINISTER.
1. THE ITALIAN MINISTER-COUNSELLOR CALLED ON US ON 21 MAY ON THE SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS OF HIS FOREIGN MINISTER TO CONVEY TO US THE FOLLOWING REPORT OF DE MICHAELIS' MEETING WITH QIAN QICHEN ON THE EVENING OF 20 MAY.
2. DE MICHAELIS, WHILE ACKNOWLEDGING THAT HONG KONG WAS A BILATERAL PROBLEM PRIMARILY BETWEEN THE UK AND CHINA, SAID THAT IT WAS A PROBLEM TOWARDS THE SOLUTION OF WHICH THE EC COULD ACTIVELY CONTRIBUTE. RECENT TALKS HAD REGISTERED GOOD RESULTS, BUT FURTHER SUCCESS IN THE ONGOING NEGOTIATIONS WOULD GIVE A NEW SPUR TO EC/CHINA RELATIONS. AS THIS PROBLEM INVOLVED THE INTEREST OF A MEMBER OF THE EC, THEN IT CONCERNED THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE. THIS WAS WHY ITALY WAS STRONGLY SUGGESTING THAT CHINA MAKE A POSITIVE EFFORT TO FIND ADEQUATE SOLUTIONS.
3. IN REPLY, QIAN UNDERLINED THAT THE TALKS BETWEEN HONG KONG, CHINA AND BRITAIN ON THE NEW HONG KONG AIRPORT HAD SO FAR REGISTERED POSITIVE RESULTS WHICH ENTITLED ONE TO BELIEVE THAT THE PROBLEM COULD SOON BE SOLVED. QIAN STRESSED THAT SHOULD THE US FAIL TO RENEW MFN FOR CHINA, HONG KONG WOULD SUFFER THE MOST SERIOUS ECONOMIC REPERCUSSIONS. IN FACT, THE OVERALL SURPLUS OF US DOLLARS 10.4 BILLION IN TRADE BETWEEN CHINA AND THE US WAS IN FAVOUR OF HONG KONG.
4. DE MICHAELIS ASSURED QIAN THAT THE UK WAS WELL AWARE OF HONG KONG'S PECULIAR SITUATION, AND THEREFORE, TOGETHER WITH ITALY WAS EXERTING ADEQUATE PRESSURE ON THE US TO AVOID THE NEGATIVE REPERCUSSIONS TO HONG KONG'S ECONOMY.
5. ITALIAN MINISTER-COUNSELLOR STRESSED THAT DE MICHAELIS HAD GIVEN SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS THAT THIS ACCOUNT OF HIS MEETING WITH QIAN SHOULD BE PASSED TO YOU WHILE THE TALKS ON THE AIRPORT
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