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156237
MDHOAN 9692
SECRET
FM FCO
TO IMMEDIATE THE HAGUE
TELNO 67
OF 121945Z MARCH 91
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG, PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
CORRECTED VERSION.
PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG (VISITING) FROM BURNS, AUSS (FOR HONG KONG: PERSONAL FOR ACTING GOVERNOR)
(FOR PEKING: PERSONAL FOR AMBASSADOR, AND PAUL AND EHRMAN
(VISITING))
(FOR UKREP JLG HONG KONG: PERSONAL FOR GALSWORTHY)
FCO TELNO 466 TO HONG KONG PADS: THE WAY AHEAD: DRAFT LETTER TO LU PING
1
.
THE SECRETARY OF STATE AND LORD CAITHNESS HAVE NOW SEEN THE DRAFT LETTER TO LU PING. THE SECRETARY OF STATE AGREES THAT IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA FOR YOU TO INVITE LU PING FOR A PRIVATE MEETING AT FANLING. BUT HE HAS EXPRESSED SERIOUS DOUBTS ABOUT WHETHER IT IS WISE TO EXPOSE SO MUCH OF OUR NEGOTIATING HAND AT THIS STAGE WITHOUT HAVING A CLEAR IDEA OF WHETHER A DEAL CAN BE STRUCK. IT IS BY NO MEANS CERTAIN WHETHER THE RANGE OF FIGURES YOU ARE CONSIDERING WILL BE SUFFICIENTLY HIGH TO BAIT THE HOOK FOR THE CHINESE. NOR IS HE CONFIDENT THAT WE HAVE FULLY IDENTIFIED ALL THAT WE SHOULD BE ASKING IN RETURN FOR SUCH MAJOR AND UNREPEATABLE CONCESSIONS, WHICH AFTER ALL GO WELL BEYOND THE TERMS OF THER JOINT DECLARATION. HE IS ALSO CONCERNED THAT, IF THE CHINESE LEADERSHIP DECIDE THAT LU PING SHOULD NOT RESPOND TO YOUR PROPOSAL, THERE IS A RISK THAT HE WOULD FIND HIS HANDS TIED IN PEKING BY YOUR HAVING SPELT OUT YOUR OWN POSITION IN SUCH DETAIL IN ADVANCE.
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2. MINISTERS THINK THAT THE MESSAGE TO LU PING OR, MORE SPECIFICALLY, PARAGRAPHS 8 ONWARDS - SHOULD THEREFORE BE CAST IN MORE GENERAL TERMS, REFERRING TO THE FACT THAT THE SECRETARY OF STATE IS HOPING TO GO TO PEKING EARLY NEXT MONTH, THAT WE ARE ANXIOUS FOR THIS VISIT TO BE A SUCCESS, AND THAT, IN ORDER TO CONTRIBUTE TO THIS OUTCOME, YOU HAVE SOME FURTHER IDEAS, WITH FIGURES, WHICH YOU WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS WITH LU PING. YOU
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