TNAG-2494-FCO40-3626-Future-of-Hong-Kong-constitutional-development-Chinese-reac-1992 — Page 60

布政司署

香港下亞厘畢道

SECRET

GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT

LOWER ALBERT ROAD HONG KONG

PAO(S) 2/1156/91

** Our Ref..

PAO(S) 77/581/89

* Your Ref..

BY FAX

1KC 012/4

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

4 DEC 1992

CK OFFICER

LA

REGISTRY

Action Taken

3 December 1992

120

Peter Ricketts Esq Head of Department Hong Kong Department F CO

Dear Peter

CHINA'S LEVERS

1.

Pre

Mr Hom Mr James, Fon Myself My Marris /ith Whiske

It

The China Policy Committee met on 3 December. concentrated on a paper which I had prepared on "China's Levers". I enclose a copy. This letter reports the discussion and conclusions reached.

2.

There was some debate to start with on whether or not the Chinese were behaving irrationally. The general conclusion was that they were béhaving in an extreme but calculated way. They themselves of course would not be unhappy if the effect of what they were doing was to make people in Hong Kong believe that they were behaving irrationally, and might behave more irrationally.

3.

It was agreed that the more we were seen to talk to the Chinese, even if no actual results were achieved, the better from the public perception point of view. It was therefore very much in our interest that a JLG meeting should be held next week, even if it achieved nothing. Thought should also be given to the pros and cons of a further meeting of the Airport Committee. (Since the meeting the Chinese have confirmed that the JLG will go ahead next week. On the airport, see the more detailed discussion below.) It was encouraging that the Chinese had agreed to Barrie Wiggham visiting Peking in January for talks on the Civil Service training course. We should not highlight this publicly at the moment, for fear that it would lead the Chinese to cancel it.

Würken

SECRET

37

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