CONFIDENTIAL
will be before the package finally goes to LegCo (probably in February). If Ministers concluded that a meeting between the Secretary of State and Qian would be useful to contain the present dispute and restore the dialogue on other Hong Kong issues, or if the Chinese themselves suggested one, the best timing in Hong Kong terms would therefore be during or shortly after the Christmas recess. I know that the Secretary of State already has tentative plans for a visit to Latin America in January. There is no obvious multilateral opportunity to meet Qian at that time, but we could explore whether Qian might be accessible (eg in Europe) over that period. For the present, therefore, the draft minute simply flags up the issues. If the Governor makes a strong case for a meeting with Qian earlier than planned at present, the Secretary of State will need to consider this against other priorities.
Mcketts
PF Ricketts
CONFIDENTIAL
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Private notes are available after approval.