TNAG-2469-FCO40-3593-Most-favoured-nation-status-for-China-Hong-Kong-interests-1992 — Page 45

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 2880

OF 11050OZ DECEMBER 92

CONFIDENTIAL

Инв Mars 091/2

JPY

Q DIST

INFO PRIORITY PEKING, WASHINGTON, UKREP JLG HONG KONG

ра

(140

154457

MDHIAN 1924

WASHINGTON TELNO 2693: PRESIDENT-ELECT CLINTON AND CHINA'S MFN STATUS.

1.

PRESIDENT-ELECT CLINTON'S REMARKS RECEIVED WIDE COVERAGE IN THE HONG KONG PRESS. I WAS ASKED ABOUT THEM WHEN I MET THE PRESS AT THE END OF A DISTRICT VISIT ON 9 DECEMBER, AND GAVE THE FOLLOWING REPLY:

QUOTE: I THINK THAT THE PRESIDENT-ELECT WAS VERY CAREFUL IN THE WORDS HE CHOSE. HE SAID THAT THE SUCCESSFUL IMPLEMENTATION OF THE JOINT DECLARATION WAS A MATTER FOR BRITAIN AND CHINA AND FOR HONG KONG, AND SO IT IS. IT'S NOT SURPRISING THAT OTHER PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD ARE INTERESTED IN HOW WE SUCCEED IN IMPLEMENTING THE JOINT DECLARATION, BECAUSE HONG KONG IS A GREAT INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY. THERE ARE 250,000 EXPATRIATES LIVING IN HONG KONG. HONG KONG IS A PART OF THE WORLD THAT EVERYBODY LOOKS TO, AND EVERYBODY WILL BE INTERESTED IN HOW WE SUCCEED IN IMPLEMENTING THE JOINT DECLARATION AND GUARANTEEING FOR THE FUTURE NOT ONLY HONG KONG'S PROSPERITY AND STABILITY, BUT ALSO HONG KONG'S WAY OF LIFE. I'M VERY PLEASED THAT PRESIDENT -ELECT CLINTON MADE IT CLEAR THAT HE KNOWS WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR IMPLEMENTING THE JOINT DECLARATION, AND I REPEAT WHAT I HAVE SAID BEFORE, I DON'T WANT TO SEE THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG TIED UP IN THE DEBATE ABOUT THE FUTURE OF MFN. I WANT TO MAKE IT ABSOLUTELY CLEAR THAT IT IS IN HONG KONG'S INTERESTS AS WELL AS IN CHINA'S INTERESTS THAT MEN IS RENEWED UNCONDITIONALLY. UNQUOTE.

2.

AS YOU KNOW, I PROPOSE TO SPEND A GREAT DEAL OF TIME NEXT YEAR IN LOBBYING FOR THE UNCONDITIONAL RENEWAL OF CHINA'S MFN STATUS. FOR POLITICAL REASONS, WHICH RELATE TO THE ATTITUDES BOTH OF CHINA AND THE LOCAL BUSINESS COMMUNITY, I SHALL HAVE TO REPEAT THIS POINT REGULARLY IN PUBLIC, AND IN PARTICULAR SAY THAT I HOPE THAT THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG WILL NOT BECOME AN ISSUE IN

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