RESTRICTED
FM HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY F C O
TELNO 3186
OF 101101Z OCTOBER 91
RESTRICTED
нко
021/1.
Int. Sup
030241
MDLIAN 5914
TOP COPY
3 DICT
INFO PRIORITY PEKING, TOKYO, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
36
FCO TELNO 1820: ZHOU NAN'S VISIT TO TOKYO
IT WAS GOOD TO SEE FROM TUR THAT NAKAYAMA HAS TAKEN A HELPFUL LINE ON HONG KONG. ZHOU'S VISIT HAS BEEN COVERED IN THE PRESS HERE, WITH THE GENERAL EFFECT OF BEING POSITIVE. HE HAS BEEN QUOTED AS ENCOURAGING CONTINUED JAPANESE INVESTMENT IN HONG KONG, AND GENERALLY PULLING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
2.
ONE OR TWO ASPECTS OF ZHOU'S TRIP ARE HOWEVER RATHER CURIOUS. I SHOULD BE INTERESTED IN ANY INSIGHTS THAT TOKYO CAN THROWN ON THE THINKING BEHIND THE JAPANESE INVITATION TO ZHOU (WE UNDERSTAND HE WAS ON A SPONSORED VISIT). IN PARTICULAR, HIS BEING RECEIVED BY THE JAPANESE FOREIGN MINISTER IS UNUSUAL, GIVEN THE NATURE OF HIS POSITION HERE AS AN (UNOFFICIAL) REPRESENTATIVE OF
A FOREIGN GOVERNMENT.
3.
I DO NOT THINK IT WOULD BE POLITICALLY SENSIBLE FOR NAKAYAMA TO GO OUT OF HIS WAY TO SEE ZHOU ON HIS NEXT VISIT TO HONG KONG. IF TOKYO BELIEVE THIS IS ANYTHING MORE THAN A FISHING INVITATION BY ZHOU IN THE HOPE OF BOOSTING HIS OWN PRESTIGE, IT WOULD BE HELPFUL IF THEY COULD HAVE A QUIET WORD WITH THE JAPANESE MFA TO EXPLAIN OUR SENSITIVITIES.
4.
I DOUBT IF ANY SIGNIFICANCE SHOULD BE ATTACHED TO ZHOU'S REFERENCE TO THE ''INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT'' OF HONG KONG IN WHAT WAS OTHERWISE A STANDARD STATEMENT OF THE PARTY LINE ON EVERYTHING. IT WAS PROBABLY A GARBLED VERSION OF THE STANDARD CHINESE LINE THAT THIRD PARTIES SHOULD PLAY AN ECONOMIC, BUT NOT A POLITICAL, ROLE IN HONG KONG.
WILSON
YYYY
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