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WERE NOT TO BE BRUSHED UNDER THE CARPET. MOREOVER THE 1995 ELECTIONS HAD TO BE DEALT WITH, AND HAD TO BE BE FREE AND FAIR. LEGCO WOULD HAVE THE LAST WORD. THE GOVERNOR MADE FULL USE OF THE JOINT INTERESTS BINDING JAPAN AND HONG KONG (INCLUDING THE PARLIAMENTARY LINK) BUT WITH PARTICULAR REFERENCE TO THE OPENING OF THE CHINESE MARKET, FREE TRADE AND THE MFN. THE JAPANESE TOOK THE POINT EAGERLY AND LOOKED FORWARD TO MR PATTEN'S PERSONAL ADVOCACY WITH CONGRESS IN THE MONTHS AHEAD.
6.
PRESS COVERAGE HAS NOT BEEN THAT HEAVY. BUT THE GOVERNOR'S MAJOR SPEECH AT THE TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL LUNCH WAS RIGHT ON TARGET, AND THERE HAS BEEN A GOOD DEMAND FOR THE TEXT. IN MEETINGS WITH A WIDE RANGE OF POLITICAL FIGURES MR PATTEN'S PRESENTATION OF HIS OBJECTIVES IN HONG KONG GOT PREDICTABLE RESPONSES. MIYAZAWA WAS MOST FRIENDLY AND DESPITE PREOCCUPATIONS IN THE DIET LET THE MEETING RUN TO OVER DOUBLE THE SCHEDULED TIME: HE NOTED THE IMPORTANCE JAPAN AND HONG KONG HAD FOR EACH OTHER ALTHOUGH, BEYOND PROFESSIONS OF PERSONAL SYMPATHY AND STRONG INTEREST, HE WAS NON-COMMITTAL ON DETAIL. FOREIGN MINISTER WATANABE TOOK CREDIT FOR PAST HELP OVER HONG KONG, NOTED MR PATTEN'S SUGGESTIONS CONCERNING AREAS OF FURTHER COOPERATION BUT CLEARLY HOPED THAT BILATERAL DIFFERENCES WITH CHINA WOULD BE SETTLED. OBUCHI AND MITSUZUKA, COMMENTING ON THE CHINESE HUMAN RIGHTS AND POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT RECORD, ARE BEST CATEGORISED AS AGEING TRIMMERS. HATA PER CONTRA WAS IMPRESSIVE - VERY WELL INFORMED AND CLEAR IN HIS RESPECT FOR THE GOVERNOR'S PROPOSALS WHILE OZAWA WAS STRONG (AS AT HOME) ON THE NEED FOR POLITICAL CHANGE IN A CHANGING SOCIETY. NAKASONE IS STILL ALERT AND CURIOUS, ABOUT BRITISH POLITICS TOO. HE, TOO, WAS GLAD TO BE THANKED. MY OWN DINNER FOR THE GOVERNOR WAS NOTABLE FOR KAIFU'S PRESENCE BUT ALSO FOR THE STRONG TURN-OUT OF PRESENT AND FORMER JAPANESE CONSULS-GENERAL IN HONG KONG, UNDERLINING THE VALUE OF THIS LINK AND THE IMPORTANCE OF CULTIVATION. ORITA THE CURRENT CG DID
ORGANISATIONAL WONDERS.
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7. IT REMAINS, OBVIOUSLY, VERY IMPORTANT INDEED, TO KEEP THE JAPANESE UP TO AT LEAST THEIR PRESENT LEVEL OF SUPPORT IN THE MONTHS AHEAD. WE WILL TAKE OUR CUE FROM THE GOVERNOR, GIVE OUR CLOSEST SUPPORT TO THE HKETO AND KEEP OUR CONTACTS (WITH HATA PARTICULARLY) IN GOOD SHAPE. TRACES OF CHINESE LOBBYING IN TOKYO ARE CLEAR, AND WE SHALL DO WHAT WE CAN TO COUNTER THESE. SIMILARLY, TOGETHER WITH HKETO, WE SHALL KEEP THE US, CANADIAN AND OTHER FRIENDLY MISSIONS FOCUSSED ON THE MAIN POINTS. FURTHER, IN THE LIGHT OF THIS VISIT, I THINK IT MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER THAT
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