TNAG-2287-FCO40-3290-Chinese-personalities-involved-with-Hong-Kong-1991 — Page 89

HKCOLO/1

27 FEB 1991

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Mr Wye

Wye RAD

Mr Seaton FED PUSD (CN)

13

076346

MDTTAN 8543

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FM PEKING

TO TELELETTER F C O

*

TELELETTER FILE REFERENCE NFR

OF 250611Z FEBRUARY 91

Mr. Sainty

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fa personalities

AND TO TELELETTER HONG KONG, UKREP JLG HONG KONG, WASHINGTON hu

FROM

TELELETTER

P.B. DAVIES, PEKING

NFR OF 25 FEBRUARY 1991

FOLLOWING FOR ALAN PAUL, HK D, F C O

COPIED TO:

WILLIAM EHRMAN, HONG KONG CHARLES PARTON, UKREP JLG HONG KONG CHANCERY WASHINGTON

26/2.

Mo Major

20/2

XU JIATUN.

1. THE AMERICAN AMBASSADOR WAS SUMMONED ON 22 FEBRUARY BY THE CHINESE MFA TO DISCUSS ''SINO-AMERICAN MATTERS'' . AMBASSADOR

LILLIE WAS THEN TOLD THAT THE GUANGDONG PROVINCIAL CONGRESS HAD

DECIDED ON 19 FEBRUARY TO REMOVE FORMER NCNA DIRECTOR XU

JIATUN'S STATUS AS A DELEGATE TO THE NATIONAL PEOPLE'S

CONGRESS. VICE-FOREIGN MINISTER LIU HUAQIU SAID HE WAS PASSING

THIS INFORMATION ON IN THE CONTEXT OF IMPROVING SINO-AMERICAN RELATIONS AND SO AS TO AVOID IT HAVING ANY ADVERSE CONSEQUENCES.

2. THE AMERICANS HERE HAVE ADMITTED DEFEAT IN TRYING TO FATHOM

THE CHINESE MOTIVES FOR THE SUMMONS. THEY SPECULATED THAT IT WAS A PRELUDE TO AN ATTACK ON THEM FOR HARBOURING XU.

3.

THE NCNA WIRE SERVICE CARRIED THE NEWS ON THE AFTERNOON OF 22 FEBRUARY. IT SAID THAT XU'S DEPARTURE FROM CHINA, WITHOUT PERMISSION, HAD BETRAYED THE PEOPLE AND HAD CAUSED BAD CONSEQUENCES FOR THE PEOPLE AND THE COUNTRY. XU, IT SAID, HAD BETRAYED THE BASIC CONDITIONS OF AN NPC DELEGATE.

4.

THE NCNA ANNOUNCEMENT CLEARLY EXPLAINS THE TIMING OF THE AMERICAN SUMMONS. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE CHINESE HAVE BEEN IMPRESSED BY THE LACK OF ANY AMERICAN ATTEMPT TO MAKE POLITICAL CAPITAL OUT OF XU'S FLIGHT AND THEREFORE THOUGHT IT NECESSARY TO FOREWARN THEM OF THE GUANGDONG DECISION.

5.

I AM COPYING THIS TELELETTER TO WILLIAM EHRMAN, HONG KONG,