CONFIDENTIAL
FM PEKING
TO DESKBY 030815Z FCO
TELNO 1034
OF 030641Z JULY 91
CONFIDENTIAL
HKB 182/4
ECEIVED MY
05 JUL1991
73
032054
MDHIAN 3781
TOP COPY Q DIST?
INFO DESKBY 030815Z HONG KONG
INFO IMMEDIATE UKREP JLG HONG KONG, BTC HONG KONG
PADS: EMBASSY STATEMENTS
1. THE PRESS OFFICER WAS RUNG UP THIS MORNING BY REUTERS WHO HAD HEARD FROM THEIR HONG KONG BUREAU. THE BUREAU SAID AN EMBASSY SPOKESMAN WAS BEING QUOTED IN HONG KONG AS HAVING SAID THAT THE SINO-BRITISH AIRPORT TALKS WOULD RESUME SOME TIME LATER THIS MONTH. A PRELIMINARY AGREEMENT ON GOING AHEAD WOULD BE ANNOUNCED SHORTLY. THE RESUMPTION OF TALKS WAS THE RESULT OF THE SECRET VISIT BY SIR P CRADOCK.
2.
DAVIES REBUTTED THIS ACCOUNT ROBUSTLY, BUT THE CALL, AND OTHERS WE HAVE TAKEN, SUGGEST THERE ARE INACCURATE ACCOUNTS CIRCULATING IN HONG KONG. TO SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT, IN ANSWER TO ANY QUESTION ABOUT A VISIT BY SIR P CRADOCK, DAVIES HAS OFFERED NO COMMENT. HE HAS REFUSED TO CONFIRM OR DENY SUCH A VISIT. HE HAS CONFIRMED THAT DIPLOMATIC CONTACTS CONTINUE. HE HAS REFERRED TO MY COURTESY CALLS ON LU PING, QIAN QICHEN AND LI PENG. WHEN ASKED ABOUT THE NEXT ROUND OF TALKS HE HAS SAID THAT WE REMAIN COMMITTED TO SOLVING THE PROBLEM AND HOPE TO DO SO AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. IF PRESSED HE HAS SAID THAT NO DATE HAS YET BEEN FIXED FOR A RESUMPTION AND THAT HE HAS NO WAY OF KNOWING WHEN IT MIGHT BE. WHEN ASKED ABOUT CONCELLATION OR SHELVING HE HAS REFERRED CALLERS TO THE HONG KONG GIS AND TO THE GOVERNOR'S REMARKS IN LONDON.
MCLAREN
YYYY
ΜΑΙΝ
31
PADS SECRET
LIMITED
HKD
DISTRIBUTION
43
PAGE
HD/PLANNERS
PS
PS/LORD CAITHNESS
CONFIDENTIAL
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