CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 2578
OF 280755Z OCTOBER 92
INFO PRIORITY PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
sa.
177044
MDHIAN 5212
chrine munti.
TOP COPY
012/44 Q DIST ?
PERSONAL FOR RICKETTS HKD.
PEKING:
FROM GOVERNOR
PERSONAL FOR AMBASSADOR.
UKREP JLG: PERSONAL FOR GALSWORTHY.
VISIT TO THE UNITED KINGDOM BY ZHU RONGJI.
A LONG TERM MEMBER OF THE CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY APPARATUS IN HONG KONG RECENTLY DISCUSSED WITH A FORMER MEMBER OF THE CPU
THE STRATEGY WHICH THE CHINESE WILL ADOPT FOLLOWING MY PEKING
VISIT.
2. THE SOURCE STATED THAT THE CHINESE WOULD CONTINUE TO ATTEMPT TO INTIMIDATE HONG KONG. THEY RECOGNISED THAT HOSTILE STATEMENTS
BY LI PENG OR JIANG ZEMIN WOULD HAVE LITTLE IMPACT ON PUBLIC OPINION HERE BECAUSE THEY ARE ''UNPOPULAR EXTREMISTS''. INSTEAD THEY WOULD USE LEADERS WIDELY REGARDED IN HONG KONG AS PRAGMATIC MODERATES TO MAKE VIGOROUS CONDEMNATIONS OF MY CONSTITUTIONAL PACKAGE. THE CURRENT PLAN WAS TO MOBILISE ZHU RONGJI TO CONDUCT AN ATTACK. HIS INTERVENTION, THEY THOUGHT, WOULD CREATE CONSIDERABLE ANXIETY AS HE IS REGARDED AS SYMPATHETIC TO HONG
KONG.
3.
ZHU WOULD HAVE A SPECIAL ROLE IN THIS CAMPAIGN BECAUSE HE IS DUE TO VISIT WESTERN EUROPE SHORTLY AND EXPECTS TO MEET THE PRIME MINISTER AND OTHER SENIOR BRITISH OFFICIALS. THE CHINESE BELIEVE
THAT ZHU WILL BE ABLE TO EXPLOIT THAT OPPORTUNITY TO DEVELOP THE CAMPAIGN AGAINST ME TO A NEW LEVEL.
PATTEN
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CONFIDENTIAL
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