TNAG-2487-FCO40-3618-Future-relations-between-Hong-Kong-and-China-1992 — Page 77

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it

is nevertheless

interesting

that when asked, leading

negotiators on both sides tend to downplay the significance of

perceptions and possible misunderstandings. For example, Anthony

Galsworthy (head of the British side of the Joint Liaison Group)

argues that differences and difficulties stem from conflicts of

interest and the character of the Chinese political system.9

William Ehmann (the Political Adviser to the Governor) also

claims that Ji Pengfei (the former acting Foreign Minister and

former head of the Chinese negotiating team and current member

of the Central Committee Foreign Affairs Leading Group) denied

that anything other than a conflict of interest was involved.

Lu Ping (the Director of the Hong Kong and Macau Office) argued

that the difference between the two sides was that the British

had a "short term interest up until 1997", whereas the Chinese

had a "long term interest in the situation after 1997". These

negotiators may well be right to draw attention to the

differences in Sino-British interests, but these pale into

insignificance in comparison to their common interest in

effecting a smooth transition of sovereignty. Moreover the

possible diversity of interests does not explain the perceptual

differences highlighted above.

11

The Problem of the Structure of the Negotiations

'Interview, Hong Kong 21/7/92

Interview with William Ehman

Énmany,

I, Hong Kong 24/7/92

11Author's interview with Lu Ping 7 August 1992.