CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
FM PEKING
TO IMMEDIATE FC O
TELNO 39
OF 15052OZ JANUARY 91
HUB 18212 TOP COPY
Q DIST?
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
48
115325
MDHIAN 8441
pa
HONG KONG PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR.
MY TELNO 35. PADS.
1
THE CHINESE SIDE'S POSITION, AND IN PARTICULAR THEIR BEHAVIOUR TOWARDS THE PRESS DURING THE SECOND ROUND OF EXPERT TALKS HAS BEEN DISAPPOINTING, TO SAY THE LEAST. IT IS ALSO OF CONCERN THAT OUR REPEATED EXHORTATIONS TO KEEP OUR DISAGREEMENTS PRIVATE SHOULD HAVE BEEN SO WILFULLY IGNORED BY LUO JIAHUAN IN THE CHINESE SIDE'S PRESS CONFERENCE ON 12 JANUARY.
2.
I HAD HOPED THAT LU PING MIGHT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO MODIFY THE CHINESE PRESS LINE AFTER MY PRIVATE CHAT WITH HIM. I SUSPECT THAT THE FAILURE THERE WAS AT LEAST IN PART DUE TO A BREAKDOWN OF COMMUNICATIONS AMONG THE CHINESE. LU PING WENT STRAIGHT FROM OUR PRIVATE MEETING TO THE MEETING OF THE EXPERT TEAMS, WHICH HE HAD TO LEAVE ABRUPTLY TO ATTEND ANOTHER ENGAGEMENT. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT ALTHOUGH LU PING HAD AGREED TO THE LINE WE THEN DEPLOYED, HE HAD NOT FORMALLY INSTRUCTED LUO JIAHUAN TO USE IT. LUO THUS FELT FREE TO DEPLOY HIS PRE-EXISTING BRIEF IN HIS PRESS CONFERENCE. IN THIS CONTEXT IT IS INTERESTING THAT THE LINE CARRIED BY NCNA, AND REPORTED IN CHINA DAILY ON 14 JANUARY, WAS ESSENTIALLY THAT I HAD AGREED WITH LU PING.
3.
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WHATEVER THE REASON, LUO'S PERFORMANCE AT THE CHINESE PRESS CONFERENCE, BY MAKING PUBLIC THE CHINESE SIDE'S ULTIMATUM, HAS PAINTED BOTH HKG AND THE C P G INTO A CORNER. IT IS AN IMPASSE THAT QUESTIONS OF ''FACE'' AND CREDIBILITY ON BOTH SIDES WILL NOW MAKE DIFFICULT TO UNBLOCK. IN CONSIDERING HOW TO MOVE THINGS FORWARD, IT MAY HELP TO HAVE AN ANALYSIS OF CHINESE PERCEPTIONS OF PADS AND THE REASONS UNDERLYING THOSE PERCEPTIONS.
4. IN OUR PRIVATE MEETING LU PING MADE CLEAR THAT THE TWO MAJOR CONCERNS ON THE CHINESE SIDE WERE ''FACE** AND THE SIZE OF THE FINANCIAL COMMITMENT. TURNING TO THE LATTER FIRST, THERE IS A GENUINE CONCERN ON THE CHINESE SIDE ABOUT THE LARGE SCALE OF THE
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