TNAG-2503-FCO40-3641-Talks-between-China-and-the-European-Community-regarding-Hon-1992 — Page 8

CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO

TO PRIORITY HONG KONG

TELNO 61

OF 15150OZ JANUARY 92

CONFIDENTIAL

HKC 021/1

INFO ROUTINE PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG

TOP COPY Q DIST?

ميني

007363

MDLOAN 4505

HONG KONG: PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR FROM RICKETTS, HKD

-NIR

LISBON TELNO 41: PORTUGUESE PROPOSAL FOR TROIKA DISCUSSION OF HONG KONG

1.

YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN SOME BACKGROUND TO THE EXCHANGE REPORTED IN PARA 6 OF TUR.

2.

WHEN THE SECRETARY OF STATE MET THE PORTUGUESE FOREIGN MINISTER ON 7 JANUARY IN LISBON, PINHEIRO SAID HE WAS CONTEMPLATING A TROIKA MEETING WITH QIAN QICHEN IN LISBON ON 18 FEBRUARY. HE SUGGESTED THAT THE TROIKA COULD LEGITIMATELY TALK ABOUT HONG KONG AND MACAO QUOTE SINCE THESE TERRITORIES AND THEIR FUTURE WERE A CONCERN OF THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE, AND NOT JUST BRITAIN AND PORTUGUAL UNQUOTE. THE SECRETARY OF STATE INDICATED THAT HE HAD NO PROBLEM WITH A TROIKA MEETING, BUT OTHERWISE DID NOT COMMENT.

3.

WE PUT UP ADVICE THAT WE SAW CONSIDERABLE RISKS IN DISCUSSING HONG KONG IN THE TROIKA, GIVEN CHINESE PARANOIA ABOUT INTERNATIONALISATION, THE RISKS OF THE DUTCH MEMBER OF THE TROIKA TRAMPLING INTO SENSITIVE TERRAIN, AND THE FACT THAT DISCUSSION OF HONG KONG WOULD BE JUXTAPOSED WITH TOUGH TALKING ABOUT HUMAN RIGHTS. MR APPLEYARD SPOKE TO HIS PORTUGUESE OPPOSITE NUMBER IN ADVANCE OF THE POLITICAL COMMITTEE MEETING, MAKING CLEAR THAT WE HAD NO PROBLEM ABOUT A TROIKA MEETING WITH QIAN QICHEN, BUT THAT WE WOULD OBJECT STRONGLY TO ANY DISCUSSION OF HONG KONG AND MACAO IN THE TROIKA FORMAT. THE PORTUGUESE POLITICAL DIRECTOR AGREED AND SAID THAT HE WOULD MAKE SURE THAT HONG KONG AND MACAO WERE NOT ON THE AGENDA. IT IS CLEAR FROM THEIR SECOND CONVERSATION REPORTED IN TUR THAT RIBEIRO HAS THIS POINT FIRMLY LOGGED, EVEN THOUGH IT NOW LOOKS AS IF THE PLAN FOR QIAN TO BE IN LISBON ON 18 FEBRUARY, AND HENCE FOR THE TROIKA SESSION WITH HIM, WILL FALL AWAY.

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