TNAG-2451-FCO40-3568-Future-of-Hong-Kong-constitutional-development-1992 — Page 149

170601Z

REFERRED TO MR RICKETTS FOR DISTRIBUTION ADVICE

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INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG, UKREP JLG HONG KONG

PERSONAL FOR RICKETTS, HKD, FROM AMBASSADOR HONG KONG PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR

UKREP JLG PERSONAL FOR GALSWORTHY

M Mrm

Mr Davier, RED.

Helphil. I'm having distributed.

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fit of a misunderstanding

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afort the timing

of He fovernor's message.

FCO TELNO 729: THE GOVERNOR'S CONSTITUTIONAL PROPOSALS

1.

2.

THANK YOU FOR KEEPING ME INFORMED.

I will send a

Corrective

il Hong Kong don't.

THE PRECEDENTS, EG OVER THE HONG KONG BANK/MIDLAND MERGER, STRONGLY SUGGEST THAT CAREFUL ADVANCE PREPARATION IS A KEY ELEMENT IN AVOIDING KNEE-JERK PUBLIC REACTIONS FROM THE CHINESE TO BRITISH MOVES THEY DO NOT LIKE. IT WOULD CERTAINLY BE HELPFUL TO GIVE THE CHINESE AN ADVANCE COPY OF THE TEXT OF THE GOVERNOR'S SPEECH IN ADDITION TO THE BRIEFING WHICH THE SECRETARY OF STATE WILL BE GIVING TO QIAN QICHEN ON 25 SEPTEMBER. TO HAVE THE RIGHT EFFECT THIS SHOULD BE DONE AT LEAST/AT LEAST 24 HOURS BEFOREHAND. MINISTERS WILL NATURALLY BE CONCERNED ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF A LEAK FROM THE CHINESE SIDE. I DO NOT BELIEVE THIS WOULD HAPPEN IF I CONVEYED THE TEXT TO LU PING OR (IF HE WERE ABSENT) ONE OF HIS DEPUTIES IN STRICT CONFIDENCE. I SUGGEST THAT I BE AUTHORISED TO DO THIS LATE ON THE AFTERNOON (LOCAL TIME) OF MONDAY 5 OCTOBER OR, FAILING THAT, ON THE MORNING OF TUESDAY 6 OCTOBER.

3.

THE GOVERNOR HAD ENVISAGED SENDING A PERSONAL MESSAGE TO LU PING THROUGH ME BEFORE HE GIVES HIS LEGCO ADDRESS (HONG KONG TELNO 2206). IF, AS I HOPE, HE STILL INTENDS TO DO THIS IT WOULD CLEARLY BE RIGHT FOR THE TEXT OF THE SPEECH TO BE DELIVERED AS AN ACCOMPANIMENT TO HIS MESSAGE.

4.

AN INVITATION TO LI PENG TO VISIT LONDON WOULD NOT MAKE THE GOVERNOR'S CONSTITUTIONAL PROPOSALS MORE PALATABLE TO THE CHINESE. BUT I AM SURE IT WOULD BE GENERALLY HELPFUL IN THE HONG KONG CONTEXT, AS WELL AS IN TERMS OF DEVELOPING THE BILATERAL RELATIONSHIP IF THE SECRETARY OF STATE COULD DROP A HINT, SUFFICIENTLY BROAD TO ENSURE THAT IT WOULD BE PICKED UP, ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF AN INVITATION. GIVEN THE UNCERTAINTIES ABOUT LI'S SURVIVAL AS PRIME MINISTER, WHICH WILL NOT BE RESOLVED UNTIL THE PARTY CONGRESS, AND PERHAPS NOT THEN, IT WOULD CLEARLY BE RIGHT TO BE UNSPECIFIC ABOUT TIMING. I DO NOT THINK THAT WOULD MATTER: IF THE CHINESE SUBSEQUENTLY PRESSED FOR AN EARLY VISIT IT WOULD NOT BE TOO DIFFICULT TO FEND THEM OFF, PLEADING THE CONGESTION OF THE PRIME MINISTER'S DIARY AND THE NEED FOR PROPER PREPARATION. THE HOPE MUST BE THAT IT WOULD BE LI PENG'S SUCCESSOR WHO WOULD EVENTUALLY TAKE UP THE INVITATION: NONE OF THE POTENTIAL SUCCESSORS WHOSE NAMES ARE BEING BANDIED ABOUT IS TARRED WITH THE TIANANMEN BRUSH IN THE WAY THAT LI PENG IS.

MCLAREN

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