RESTRICTED
HICD 021/2
RESTRICTED
FM WASHINGTON
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 841
OF 160008Z APRIL 92
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG, PEKING, ACTOR
129
107311
MDHIAN 0650
pa.
TOP COPY Q DIST?
10/4 مل
HONG KONG TELNO 1073: US/HONG KONG: THE MCCONNELL BILL
SUMMARY
1.
NO PROBLEMS WITH THE PROPOSED LINES TO TAKE. ACCORDING TO STATE MCCONNELL IS PREPARED TO AMEND THE REPORTING REQUIREMENT.
DETAIL
2. WE HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH THE LINES TO TAKE IN PARAS 2 AND 3 OF TUR. ON PARAGRAPH 3 (B), HOWEVER, STATE HAVE TOLD US THAT THEY HAVE URGED MCCONNELL TO SHORTEN TITLE ONE OF THE BILL TO EXPRESS IN MORE GENERAL TERMS THE US INTENTION OF MAINTAINING CLOSE TIES WITH HONG KONG. THIS WOULD AVOID THE PROBLEM OF SELECTIVE QUOTATION FROM THE JD. BUT STATE ARE NOT PREPARED TO DIE IN THE DITCH OVER THIS SINCE TITLE ONE IS QUOTE SENSE OF THE CONGRESS UNQUOTE LANGUAGE, AND THEREFORE NOT BINDING ON THE ADMINISTRATION.
3. WE ASKED STATE WHETHER THEY KNEW OF OTHER EXAMPLES OF A REPORTING REQUIREMENT ON INTERNAL DEVELOPMENTS IN A PARTICULAR COUNTRY. STATE SAID THERE WERE A VARIETY OF REPORTS ON MANY COUNTRIES. THESE INCLUDED SOME INTERNAL ISSUES, SUCH AS HUMAN RIGHTS, AND ANTI-NARCOTICS EFFORTS. THEY THOUGHT THAT THE MCCONNELL REPORTING REQUIREMENT MIGHT BE UNIQUE IN THAT IT CALLED FOR A REPORT FROM THE ADMINISTRATION ABOUT A BILATERAL AGREEMENT TO WHICH THE US WAS NOT A PARTY.
4.
STATE ADDED THAT THEY WERE CONFIDENT THAT MCCONNELL WAS NO LONGER WEDDED TO A REPORTING REQUIREMENT ON THE JD. THEY THOUGHT IT LIKELY THAT HE WOULD SETTLE FOR A REPORT ON US INTERESTS AND RELATIONS WITH HONG KONG, WITH, POSSIBLY, SOME REFERENCE TO HOW THESE MIGHT BE INFLUENCED BY THE TRANSITION TO CHINESE SOVEREIGNTY.
5.
I AM SEEING SOLARZ LATER THIS WEEK AND WILL REPORT FURTHER THEN.
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