RESTRICTED
FM HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY F C O
TELNO 3046
OF 300915Z SEPTEMBER 91
RESTRICTED
HKD 21/6.
521/6
TOP COPY Q DIST?
INFO PRIORITY WASHINGTON, PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG INFO PRIORITY BTC HONG KONG
5
171755
MDLIAN 3316
FOR HKD FROM DEPUTY POLITICAL ADVISER
THE U.S./HK POLICY ACT OF 1991 (MCCONNELL BILL)
THE US CONSULATE-GENERAL HAVE SENT ME A COPY OF THE MCCONNELL BILL AND ASKED FOR COMMENTS. THESE WILL PRESUMABLY BE RETURNED TO THE STATE DEPARTMENT AND USED IN COMPILING ANY ADMINISTRATION ASSESSMENT OF THE BILL. I HAVE SEEN NO REPORTS THAT THE AMERICANS HAVE APPROACHED EITHER YOU OR WASHINGTON BUT I
ASSUME THEY MAY DO SO.
2.
WE ARE GOING OVER THE TEXT OF THE BILL CAREFULLY HERE TO SEE IF THERE ARE DISCREPANCIES IN ITS REFERENCES TO OR QUOTATIONS FROM THE JOINT DECLARATION WHICH WE SHOULD POINT OUT. WE WILL TELEGRAPH OUR FINDINGS IN DUE COURSE. MEANWHILE, HOWEVER, I SHOULD BE GRATEFUL TO KNOW WHETHER YOU HAVE BEEN STUDYING THE BILL YOURSELVES, AND IF SO WHETHER YOU HAVE FORMED ANY VIEWS ON IT, OR WHAT OUR ATTITUDE TOWARDS IT SHOULD BE.
3. I AM NOT REALLY CLEAR WHAT PRACTICAL EFFECT THE BILL WOULD HAVE, GIVEN THAT THE US GOVERNMENT HAVE ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS DECLARED THEIR SUPPORT FOR THE JD AND THEIR INTEREST IN THE PRESERVATION OF HONG KONG'S PROSPERITY AND LIFE STYLE AS LAID DOWN THERE.
4. BARRING ANY POINTS OF DETAIL CAND ONE OR TWO APPEAR EVEN ON A CURSORY READING), FROM OUR POINT OF VIEW WE CAN HARDLY OBJECT TO THE AMERICANS ENSHRINING THE JOINT DECLARATION IN THEIR OWN
LAW WITH THE ADDITION OF A NUMBER OF POSITIVE EXTRA POINTS. HOWEVER THE CHINESE WILL NOT LIKE IT, (''INTERNATIONALISATION'' ETC.): LEAST OF ALL THE REPORTING REQUIREMENT PROVISIONS. THE QUESTION THEREFORE IS, WHILE WE WOULD PRESUMABLY NOT WISH TO DISCOURAGE THIS SHOW OF SUPPORTIVE INTEREST IN HONG KONG, WHETHER WE WISH ACTIVELY TO ENCOURAGE IF.
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