SECRET
HKA 233/
178
152414
MDHIAN 6024
SECRET
FM HONG KONG
TO DESKBY 0913OOZ FCO
TELNO 732
OF 09120OZ MARCH 92
TOP COPY Q DIST?
Page
بل
AND TO IMMEDIATE PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
75
YOUR TELNO 433: HMOCS: BRIEFING THE CHINESE.
913
WE AGREE THAT WE SHOULD PRESENT THE HMOCS ISSUE AS A HISTORICAL OBLIGATION FURTHERING A BILATERAL ISSUE BETWEEN THE HMOCS OFFICERS THEMSELVES AND HMG. WE TOO HAD CONSIDERED WHETHER THE APPROACH TO THE CHINESE SHOULD BE MADE THROUGH THE EMBASSY IN PEKING. HOWEVER WE BELIEVE THAT IT WOULD BE BEST DONE THROUGH JLG DIPLOMATIC CHANNELS. THE CHINESE ARE THEMSELVES LIKELY TO SEE THIS AS A TRANSITIONAL ISSUE WITHIN THE JURISDICTION OF THE JLG, AND MAY BE SUSPICIOUS IF WE RAISE IT ON ANOTHER CHANNEL. UKREP
JLG IS COMMENTING SEPARATELY ON THIS POINT.
2.
WE SHARE YOUR WISH TO HAVE THE SUBJECT PRESENTED AS HMG'S COMMITMENT TO HMOCS. HENCE THE INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPHS OF THE DRAFT SPEAKING NOTE AND THE REFERENCES TO COLONIAL HISTORY AND OBLIGATIONS TO HMOCS. BUT WE WOULD ADVISE AGAINST GOING INTO TOO MUCH DETAILS AND RAISING QUESTIONS WHICH IT MAY BE DIFFICULT TO ANSWER COMPLETELY AT THIS STAGE.
3.
WE WOULD ADVISE AGAINST ANY SPECIFIC REFERENCE TO THE JOINT DECLARATION. AS YOU POINT OUT, THIS MAY SERVE AS AN INVITATION TO THE CHINESE TO ARGUE THAT WE MUST NOT ONLY BRIEF BUT CONSULT THEM. WE WOULD ALSO PREFER NOT TO SAY ANYTHING ABOUT RETIREMENT WITH PENSION IN 1997, NOR, AT THIS STAGE AT LEAST, TO PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS OF HOW THE COMPENSATION/INCENTIVE SCHEME MIGHT WORK. AND WE THINK THAT TO HAND OVER COPIES OF THE 1954 AND 1960 WHITE PAPERS WOULD BE TO INVITE FURTHER DELAY WHILST THE CHINESE STUDY THEM. AS YOU SAY, STERLING SAFEGUARDS ARE NOT COVERED IN THESE WHITE PAPERS, BUT IN THE PAPERS RELATING TO SPOS AND THE
1971 PENSION INCREASE ACT.
...
4 FINALLY WE BELIEVE THAT IS TACTICALLY BEST, WHEN BRIEFING THE CHINESE THAT THE COMPENSATION AND INDUCEMENT ELEMENTS SHOULD
BE MENTIONED SEPARATELY. WE DOUBT IF THIS COULD REALLY BE USED BY THE TREASURY TO SCALE DOWN THE COMPENSATION ELEMENT. INDEED WE WILL ALL BE UNDER PRESSURE FROM THE HMOCS ASSOCIATION TO DO THE
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