CONFIDENTIAL
21/1
HKD 021/1 COPY"
GECEN
(3)
015166
MDHOAN 6246
CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO
TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
TELNO 1208
OF 27160OZ JUNE 91
AND TO IMMEDIATE TOKYO
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
pa:
Mr.
mytmis 28/6
VISIT OF CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTER TO TOKYO: HONG KONG
1.
THE JAPANESE EMBASSY HERE HAVE GIVEN US THE FOLLOWING ACCOUNT OF AN EXCHANGE BETWEEN THE JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER AND THE CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTER ON HONG KONG.
2.
KAIFU SAID THAT JAPAN AND HONG KONG HAD BEEN STRENGTHENING THEIR ECONOMIC RELATIONS. IN JAPAN'S VIEW, HONG KONG WAS A VERY IMPORTANT PLACE. IT WAS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT THAT HONG KONG SHOULD BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN ITS CURRENT ECONOMIC FREEDOM AND ECONOMIC VITALITY. THIS IN TURN WOULD CONTRIBUTE TO CHINA'S OPEN-DOOR POLICY, TO RELATIONS BETWEEN JAPAN AND CHINA AND TO SINO-BRITISH RELATIONS. KAIFU REITERATED JAPAN'S STRONG INTEREST IN, AND HOPE FOR, THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG. IN REPLY, QIAN SAID THAT HE AGREED WITH THE BASIC THOUGHTS OF THE JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER. HE HOPED THAT HONG KONG WOULD MAINTAIN ITS POSITION AS AN INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL CENTRE AND WOULD CONTINUE TO BE PROSPEROUS AND STABLE AFTER 1997. IN HIS OPINION, CHINA AND BRITAIN HAD A COMMON VIEW ABOUT THIS. CHINA WISHED TO CONTINUE ITS OWN EFFORTS TO REALISE THESE OBJECTIVES.
3. QIAN ADDED THAT THERE WERE SEVERAL ISSUES PENDING. CONTACTS BETWEEN BRITAIN AND CHINA WERE CONTINUING, INCLUDING A RECENT EXCHANGE OF LETTERS BETWEEN PRIME MINISTER MAJOR AND PREMIER LI PENG. QIAN THOUGHT THAT A SOLUTION TO THESE OUTSTANDING ISSUES WOULD NOT BE THAT DIFFICULT.
COMMENT
4.
THE JAPANESE EMBASSY SAID THAT ALTHOUGH THE AIRPORT PROJECT HAD NOT BEEN MENTIONED SPECIFICALLY IN THE DISCUSSION, THE IMPLICATION OF KAIFU'S REMARKS WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN LOST ON THE CHINESE. THE EMBASSY HAD NOT YET RECEIVED AN ACCOUNT OF THE MEETING BETWEEN THE TWO FOREIGN MINISTERS BUT UNDERTOOK TO LET US KNOW WHAT WAS SAID ABOUT HONG KONG.
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