TNAG-2613-FCO40-3804-International-support-from-Australia-and-New-Zealand-regardi-1992 — Page 5

RESTRICTED

RESTRICTED

FM CANBERRA

TO TELELETTER FCO

TELELETTER

OF 160425Z NOVEMBER 92

AND TO TELELETTER HONG KONG, PEKING

FROM: D G BLUNT,

CANBERRA

TO:

HKD, FCO

CC:

TCF FLEAR ESQ MVO, SPD, FCO

DPA, HONG KONG

CHANCERY PEKING

3

052544

MDTTAN 0748

на

int support

(Australia)

HKD 021/5

AUSTRALIA-HONG KONG: COMMENTS BY SENATOR EVANS

SUMMARY

1. COMMENTS BY SENATOR EVANS STRONGLY SUPPORTIVE OF THE GOVERNOR'S PROPOSALS FOR STRENGTHENING DEMOCRATIC STRUCTURES. CHINESE

IRRITATED.

DETAIL

2. YOU MAY ALREADY HAVE SEEN PRESS REPORTS OF SUPPORTIVE COMMENTS

BY THE AUSTRALIAN FOREIGN MINISTER IN HONG KONG ON 9 NOVEMBER. DFAT HAVE PASSED ME A COPY OF THE VERBATIM TRANSCRIPT. I WAS STRUCK BY HOW FORCEFUL AND FORTHRIGHT SENATOR EVANS WAS ON THIS

OCCASION. THE FULL TEXT FOLLOWS BY BAG. HIS REMARKS INCLUDE THE

FOLLOWING:

(A)

(B)

(C)

WHEN ASKED IF AUSTRALIA SUPPORTED THE GOVERNOR'S POSITION ON

HONG KONG: "'YES WE DO. QUITE EXPLICITLY. QUITE OVERTLY. WE

THINK GOVERNOR PATTEN IS RIGHT AND THAT HE SHOULD CONTINUE TO GO

FOR IT IN TERMS OF HIS PARTICULAR PACKAGE

..

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THE GOVERNOR'S PROPOSALS IN NO SENSE AMOUNTED TO ''ANY KIND OF FUNDAMENTAL, HEAD-ON CHALLENGE TO THE TERMS OF EITHER THE JOINT DECLARATION OR MORE SPECIFICALLY THE BASIC LAW AND IT IS SIMPLY

NOT GOOD ENOUGH FOR THE CHINESE TO RESPOND BY SAYING THAT THIS AMOUNTS TO A VIOLATION OF THE BASIC LAW, THE JOINT DECLARATION AND ASSOCIATED AGREEMENTS. I DO NOT THINK ANYONE SERIOUSLY

BELIEVES THAT IT DOES.'

HE HAD TOLD QIAN QICHEN AND LIU HUAQI OF THE AUSTRALIAN POSITION

1

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