CONFIDENTIAL
1126
MDHIAN 8279.
(B)
(C)
(D)
HONG KONG EFFECTIVELY UP TO 1997. WE ARE CLEARLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE TERRITORY'S ADMINISTRATION UNTIL
THEN.
SECONDLY, THE CHINESE SIDE HAVE CALLED FOR US TO HALT ALL WORK ON THE AIRPORT UNTIL THEY AGREE TO IT. BUILDING THE NEW AIRPORT IN GOOD TIME IS FOR THE BENEFIT OF HONG KONG. CLEARLY WE HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO PROCEED WITH IT WITHIN OUR PERIOD OF ADMINISTRATION.
THIRDLY, THE AMBASSADOR, OUR TEAM IN PEKING AND MCLAREN IN LONDON HAD ALL POINTED TO THE DANGERS OF MAXIMISING THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN US. LU PING SAID THAT OUR DIFFERENCES SHOULD NOT BE RELEASED TO THE MEDIA AND THAT BOTH SIDES SHOULD PRESENT A CO-OPERATIVE ATMOSPHERE IN PUBLIC. WE HAD ACTED ACCORDINGLY AT OUR TEAM'S PRESS CONFERENCE SEMI COLON BUT LUO JIAHUAN AND CHEN ZUO'ER, AT THEIR PRESS CONFERENCES, HAD GONE OUT OF THEIR WAY TO MAXIMISE DIFFERENCES AND CREATE PROBLEMS. WE FIND THIS IMPOSSIBLE TO UNDERSTAND.
FOURTHLY, THESE RECENT DEVELOPMENTS HAVE THROWN INTO DOUBT WHETHER I SHOULD GO TO PEKING AT THIS PARTICULAR TIME. I SHOULD LIKE TO DO SO BECAUSE I ATTACH IMPORTANCE TO MAINTAINING DIALOGUE. BUT IF I WERE TO CARRY ON WITH MY PLANS, I WOULD NEED AN ASSURANCE THAT THE CHINESE WILL ENSURE THAT THE VISIT IS PRODUCTIVE, AND THAT IF ANY DIFFERENCES REMAIN THEY WILL NOT BE PUBLICLY HIGHLIGHTED.
THE AMBASSADOR SHOULD SPEAK IN PARALLEL TO VICE FOREIGN MINISTER TIAN ZENGPEI, AND ASK THAT LU PING ALSO BE INFORMED OF THIS MESSAGE.
THE POLITICAL ADVISER WOULD MAKE THE SAME POINTS TO NCNA HERE, AND SAY HOW PERSONALLY CONCERNED I AM AT DEVELOPMENTS. I HAVE CONSIDERED WHETHER I SHOULD MAKE THESE POINTS TO ZHOU NAN PERSONALLY. BUT HE IS
LIKELY TO MAKE UNHELPFUL COMMENTS IN REPLY WHICH WOULD THEN BE REPORTED TO THE LEADERSHIP WITH LITTLE TO NIL GAIN FOR US.
MY MESSAGE WHEN I GO TO PEKING SHOULD BE THAT WE TAKE SERIOUSLY OUR RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADMINISTRATION
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