{
рив [ NGB 121/3
FROM:
DATE:
M V Stone
116 SEP 1991
Hong Kong Department
16 September 1991
Mr Ricketts PS/Lord Caithness
i
CC:
Mr Burns
Mr St
1/
A/
fee
Jelow
LORD CAITHNESS' DINNER WITH LU PING: ANALYSIS OF LU PING'S
SPEECH ON 16 SEPTEMBER
1.
(17
Before his Dinner with Mr Lu Ping this evening,
Lord Caithness may wish to glance at the draft speech Mr Lu
made at the Smith New Court Finance Conference today. As
one would expect in such a setting, the speech is pretty up-beat and does not raise any particularly sensitive or new issues. But the following points are worthy of note:
(a) SAR Political Structure. Lu Ping goes into considerable detail on the economic, financial and trading
provision set out in the Basic Law. Given the audience this
is understandable. However he makes no mention of the
political framework laid down in the Basic Law nor does he
touch on the LegCo elections which have just taken place. The inference seems clear: political development is not an important factor in the continuing stability and prosperity of Hong Kong. (But we have not yet had a read-out of what he actually said at the conference or any questions he may have answered).
(b) Chinese non-interference. Mr Lu goes to some trouble to reassure investors that China understands that its
RAMABI/1
TG
23
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