210
051661
MDHOAN 2417
CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO
TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
TELNO 597
OF 0317OOZ APRIL 92
CONFIDENTIAL
нка 23311
TOP COPY Q DIST?
INFO PRIORITY UKREP JLG HONG KONG, PEKING, BTC HONG KONG
Pa
PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR
PLEASE PASS COPIES TO MR BURNS AND COX, FCO VISITING
3/4
YOUR TELNO 970: HMOCS
208
WE
1. THANK YOU FOR THESE COMMENTS. WE HAVE TAKEN ACCOUNT OF THEM IN THE REVISED STATEMENT WHICH WE SUBMITTED ON 2 APRIL. HAVE ALSO DELETED REFERENCE TO UPDATING THE CALCULATIONS FOR PROMOTIONS AND INCREMENTS PARA 4(A) LAST SENTENCE OF OUR TELNO 590. THIS IS A USEFUL BARGAINING CHIP RATHER THAN A CENTRAL ELEMENT IN THE PACKAGE, AND NEED NOT BE INCLUDED IN THE OPENING PROPOSAL.
2.
IN PARALLEL WE HAVE WRITTEN TO THE TREASURY EXPLAINING OUR CONCLUSIONS ON CONTRACT OFFICERS AND GIVING THEM A COPY OF THE STATEMENT, FOR INFORMATION.
3.
OUR PRESENT PLAN IS THAT IF MINISTERS AGREE AND THE TREASURY DO NOT OBJECT, WE WILL SEND A TRIGGER TELEGRAM ON MONDAY 6 APRIL FOR COX TO TAKE ACTION ON 7 APRIL.
4.
THE ODA ARE STILL CONSIDERING WHETHER MR FISH SHOULD FLY OUT FOR THIS INITIAL PRESENTATION.
5. WE PROPOSE THAT THE BEST WAY OF HANDLING THE PRESENTATION WOULD BE FOR COX TO CALL ON MICHAEL CARTLAND AND HAVE A SHORT MEETING IN WHICH HE HANDS OVER THE STATEMENT. THIS WOULD GIVE COX THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPLAIN ANY FACTUAL POINTS AND IF NECESSARY THE THINKING BEHIND THE PROPOSAL BUT NOT TO GET DRAWN INTO ANY DETAILED DISCUSSIONS. WE WISH TO AVOID THIS - SINCE WE ARE NOT YET IN A POSITION TO ANSWER THE LIKELY DETAILED
QUESTIONS.
6.
WE ALSO NEED TO PREPARE FOR PRESS INTEREST. MIFT SETS OUT A FIRST DRAFT OF A DEFENSIVE Q AND A, WHICH WE SHALL WISH TO CLEAR WITH THE TREASURY. GRATEFUL FOR ANY COMMENTS FROM ADDRESSEES
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