TNAG-2708-FCO40-3914-House-of-Commons-Select-Committee-on-Foreign-Affairs-and-Par-1993 — Page 31

OVERMENT HOUSE HONG KONG.

FRI 12 MAR 93 66:49

PG.03

RESTRICTED

It is not for me, of course, to reflect the

position of the Chinese side. But let me spell out the basis on which the British side has been prepared to

talk, so the community can see for itself that we have behaved reasonably and sincerely in these discussions.

First, we have said to the Chinese side that we

are prepared to talk on the basis of the Joint Declaration, the principle of convergence with the Basic Law and the relevant understandings and agreements

reached between Britain and China. We consider our

proposals to be wholly compatible with these.

Secondly, we made plain that in any talks the

British team would include the necessary Hong Kong

officials with the relevant knowledge and experience,

the same basis as other officials taking part in the

talks. Both the Prime Minister and the Foreign

Secretary have made this point publicly in the last 48 hours. Hong Kong officials have participated in past

discussions with the Chinese side as members of the

British team, including during the negotiations on

Joint Declaration and in the Joint Liaison Group.

We have also said to the Chinese side that Sir

Robin McLaren, the British Ambassador to China, would be

the British representative, supported by a team

consisting of Michael Sze, the Secretary for Constitutional Affairs, William Ehrman, the Political

Adviser, Peter Lai, the Deputy Secretary for

Constitutional Affairs, and Peter Ricketts, Head of the Hong Kong Department in the Foreign and Commonwealth

office.

There would be no distinction between members

of the team from Hong Kong and from London.

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