CONFIDENTIAL
02260
MDHIAN 440.
ACCEPT AS INEVITABLE, WOULD THERE NOT BE ADVANTAGE IN AT LEAST EXPLORING WHETHER THERE COULD BE SOME BASIS FOR AGREEMENT ? AT THE MOMENT, OF COURSE, THE CHINESE ARE UNWILLING TO TALK, AND THEY MIGHT INSIST ON UNACCEPTABLE PRECONDITIONS BEFORE DOING SO. BUT WE SHOULD OURSELVES BE CONSIDERING POSSIBLE WAYS OF GETTING THEM TO THE TABLE.
5. THE FINAL PARAGRAPH DOES NOT SEEM TO ME TO OFFER VERY MUCH IN THE WAY OF IDEAS ABOUT THE WAY FORWARD. THE THIRD SENTENCE ('ONCE THE CHINESE HAVE REALISED . .') STRIKES ME AS WISHFUL THINKING. I KNOW OF NO EVIDENCE FOR IT
6.
I DO NOT HAVE TIME TO PUT FORWARD DRAFTING LANGUAGE TO TAKE ACCOUNT OF THESE POINTS, WHICH MAY WELL NOT FIND FAVOUR WITH THE GOVERNOR OR IN LONDON. BUT I OFFER THE FOLLOWING MINOR SUGGESTIONS:-
-
SECOND PARAGRAPH. FOR THE SAKE OF BALANCE, YOU MIGHT WANT TO ADD SOMETHING LIKE, 'BUT THE CHINESE HAVE REGISTERED STRONG OPPOSITION' AT THE END OF THIS PARAGRAPH.
PARAGRAPH 5. I WOULD AMEND THE BEGINNING OF THE SECOND SENTENCE TO READ SOMETHING LIKE, 'I VERY MUCH DOUBT THAT.
1
PARAGRAPH 6. SEE PARA 2 ABOVE. I HOPE THAT YOU CAN WORK IN SOME REFERENCE TO THE FACT THAT THE CHINESE ARE UNLIKELY TO ACQUIESCE IN LEGISLATION ON THE PRESENT LINES.
PARAGRAPH 8. I THINK THE GOVERNOR HAS NOW ACCEPTED THAT ONE OF THE CONCESSIONS HE ORIGINALLY HAD IN MIND (THAT OF OFFERING TO INCLUDE NPC AND CPPCC DELEGATES IN THE ELECTION COMMITTEE, PROVIDED THAT THEY WERE ELECTED IN HONG KONG BY UNIVERSAL SUFFRAGE) WOULD NOT BE REGARDED AS A CONCESSION BY THE CHINESE.
PARAGRAPH 9. SEE PARA 4 ABOVE.
६
-
PARAGRAPH 10.
IF THE CHINESE TAKE ANY INITIATIVE IN THE
MATTER IT COULD TAKE THE FORM OF A PROPOSAL FOR TALKS BETWEEN THE SECRETARY OF STATE AND QIAN.
PAGE 2 CONFIDENTIAL
Redacted under FOI exemption 27(1)
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.