TNAG-2717-FCO40-3923-House-of-Commons-Select-Committee-on-Foreign-Affairs-enquiry-1993 — Page 104

CONFIDENTIAL

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MDHOAN 1899

CONFIDENTIAL

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TO DESKBY 07010OZ HONG KONG

TELNO 1027

OF 061834Z DECEMBER 93

MKB 0111612.

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INFO PRIORITY PEKING

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PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR FROM RICKETTS, HKD

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not there.

HONG KONG: STATEMENTS TO PARLIAMENT

الوم

Will ring you 9.30 ish.

Can you chase?

1. In case the Secretary of State's statement to the House this afternoon (text faxed separately) came too late for the Hong Kong newspapers, you might like a quick impression. We will fax you

Hansard as soon as available.

2. The statement in the Commons went extremely well. As the Secretary of State noted in his press interviews this afternoon, every single speaker from all sides of the House supported your approach. Dr Cunningham asked a number of times what had gone wrong and wondered whether we could possibly be suggesting that Chinese proposals would result in arrangements which were not open and fair. But he supported your proposals even if they came somewhat late in the day. There were helpful interventions from: Mr David Howell (who underlined that expert legal opinion had confirmed to the FAC that your proposals did not contravene the BL); Mr David Steel (in the absence of Mr Ashdown); Mr Roger Sims, Dr Jeremy Bray (who emphasised that you had support in all parts of the House in making the wishes of Hong Kong people paramount); Sir P Emery, Dr John Marek; Mr David Harris and Mr Peter Luff; even Dr Kaufman urged you to press ahead with your package as the absolute minimum. The general mood was that the Chinese side were the ones showing intransigeance, that it was crucial not to allow the rule of Law to be eroded, and that you should get on with pursuing the next stage of your package sooner rather than later. Sir P Cradock's article was mentioned only once, in passing, by Dr Cunningham.

3. Lord Henley (repeating the statement in the Lords on behalf of Lady Chalker) encountered more waves from those with business interests and some feeling that we had mishandled relations with China (including Lord Callaghan).