CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO
TO DESKBY 28013OZ HONG KONG
TELNO 105
OF 27170OZ JANUARY 92
CONFIDENTIAL
Sangles
Педа Moz ozoli
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
037132
MDHOAN 8679
TOP COPY DIST?
YOUR TELNO 156: HONG KONG LINKS WITH COMMONWEALTH AFTER 1997
1. WE AGREE THAT THE CHINESE REACTION TO ANY PROPOSAL THAT HONG KONG SHOULD HAVE ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIP OF THE CPA AFTER 1997 WOULD BE VERY HOSTILE. IN ADDITION TO THEIR PRINCIPLED OBJECTION TO ANY FORMAL COMMONWEALTH LINKS POST-1997, THE CHINESE ARE LIKELY TO BE PARTICULARLY WARY OF THE CPA, WHICH TAKES AN INTEREST IN SUCH NEURALGIC MATTERS AS 'FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS''. WE THEREFORE AGREE WITH YOUR PROPOSED ADVICE TO THE HONG KONG BRANCH THAT THEY SHOULD NOT COMMIT HONG KONG TO ANY SUCH STATUS AFTER 1997.
2. WE SHALL BE GIVING FURTHER THOUGHT TO WHETHER WE COULD USEFULLY SUPPLEMENT THIS BY AN APPROACH TO THE CPA TO EXPLAIN SOME OF THE SENSITIVITIES OF HONG KONG'S SITUATION. ENSURE THAT THE SENIOR BRITISH RESPRESENTATIVE ON THE CPA EXECUTIVE (MR COLIN SHEPHERD) IS AWARE OF OUR VIEWS. BUT HE WILL NOT BE WELL PLACED TO INFLUENCE THE CAYMANS MEETING. IS NO BRITISH REPRESENTATIVE ON THE WORKING PARTY (THE INTERESTS OF THE BRITISH GROUP WILL BE REPRESENTED BY A CYPRIOT).
THERE
IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES WE THINK THE BEST RESPONSE WOULD BE FOR THE HONG KONG BRANCH TO FEND OFF THIS APPROACH IF THAT CAN BE ARRANGED.
3. WE NEED AT SOME STAGE TO TAKE A MORE GENERAL LOOK AT THE QUESTION OF HONG KONG'S COMMONWEALTH LINKS POST-1997. CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS BRANCH MENTIONED IN A TELELETTER TO BUNTEN LAST DECEMBER THAT YOU WERE INTENDING TO PUT A MEMORANDUM ON THIS SUBJECT TO EXCO IN A FEW MONTHS TIME. WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOUR DRAFT AND WOULD BE HAPPY TO FEED IN SOME VIEWS.
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