719 ke, HM) << Pick
女。、NMJK
MESSAGE FOR MR TADASHI IKEDA FROM SIR J COLES
2
Livieds
I understand from the Governor of Hong Kong that he had a most
useful visit to Tokyo. I wanted to let you know how grateful
we are for the consistent support we receive from Japanese
Ministers and officials on the Hong Kong issue.
Japan is uniquely well placed to explain to China the
realities of international business confidence in Hong Kong. We greatly value your many helpful interventions in the past.
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The Governor will have brought you up to date on his thinking.
But you might find it useful to have our impressions of the present situation in Hong Kong. The Governor's proposals continue to attract steady support from the community (by a
margin of about 2:1 according to a series of opinion polls)
The business community are understandably anxious to see the
current difficulties resolved soon. But the economic
fundamentals in Hong Kong remain sound. As you know, the
Chinese have reacted harshly to the Governor's proposals and
the fact that he announced them before engaging in detailed
discussion with the Chinese. Their statement casting doubt on
the validity of government contracts and franchises stretching
beyond 1997 is inconsistent with the Joint Declaration and the
Basic Law. Their demand that the Governor should withdraw his
proposals as a pre- condition for any discussion is wholly unrealistic. The Governor has of course emphasised that his proposals are just that: proposals for discussion, and the Governor would be happy to discuss any alternative proposals
China may have for the elections in 1995 which would be open,
fair and acceptable to the people of Hong Kong.
The 25th meeting of the Sino-British Joint Liaison Group took
place recently in Hong Kong. The Chinese side unfortunately
refused either to discuss our proposals for the 1995
elections, or to transact any other business on the JLG
agenda.
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.