TNAG-2732-FCO40-3938-Future-of-Hong-Kong-constitutional-development-1993 — Page 166

pa.

Con. Denot (Sen 2277

122777

MDHIAN/5357

(16

THIS IS A COPY

THE ORIGINAL HAS BEEN CLOSED UNDER

FOI EXEMPTION NO.....27( SECRET

SECRET

FM HONG KONG

TELNO 504

TO DESKBY 30093OZ FCO

OF 300824Z MARCH 93

HKS

RECEIVED IN RÉGISTRY

31 MAR 1993

DESK OFFICER

REGISTRY

INDEX

PA

Action Teken

INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG

FOR PS/MR GOODLAD AND RICKETTS (HKD)

PEKING FOR AMBASSADOR

CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT: EXCO, 30 MARCH

SUMMARY

APK.

1. THE COUNCIL ENDORSED THE IDEA THAT MR GOODLAD SHOULD REITERATE TO AMBASSADOR MA THAT WE STILL WISH TO HOLD TALKS AND THAT THEY SHOULD BEGIN SOON.

2.

PUBLIC STATEMENT ON INTRODUCTION OF THE REMAINING LEGISLATION

INTO LEGCO AGREED. TEXT AS IN MY TELNO 492.

DETAIL

3. I ASKED THE POLITICAL ADVISER TO RUN OVER DEVELOPMENTS IN THE LAST WEEK. EHRMAN BRIEFLY DESCRIBED THE CPPCC RESOLUTION, THE APPOINTMENT OF A SECOND BATCH OF HONG KONG AFFAIRS ADVISERS AND

THE LIKELY NPC RESOLUTION ON A PRELIMINARY WORKING ORGANISATION. A CNA COMMENTARY HAD EMPHASISED THAT CHINA WAS NOT REFUSING TO HOLD TALKS WITH US. BUT WE HAD HAD NO DIRECT CONTACT WITH THE CHINESE DURING THE NPC. THEY MIGHT STILL SEE ADVANTAGE IN HOLDING TALKS AS A MEANS OF EXERTING CONTROL OVER US BUT WE DID NOT KNOW WHAT THEIR PRESENT ATTITUDE MIGHT BE ON CONDITIONS FOR THE TALKS (I.E. ON THE STATUS OF HONG KONG REPRESENTATION AND POSSIBLY ADDITIONAL ISSUES).

4. I SAID THAT IT WAS ESSENTIAL FOR ME TO BE ABLE TO HOLD FRANK DISCUSSIONS WITH EXCO ON THE DIFFICULT QUESTIONS WHICH HAD FACED US IN THE PAST AND WOULD DO SO IN THE FUTURE. BUT THE TASK WAS MADE MUCH HARDER IF MEMBERS SAID THINGS PUBLICLY WHICH THE COUNCIL HAD NOT AGREED SHOULD BE SAID.

SOME THINGS SAID IN RECENT WEEKS HAD OBLIGED THE CHINESE SIDE TO HARDEN ITS POSITION AT CRUCIAL MOMENTS DURING THE TALKS ABOUT TALKS. I HOPED THIS WOULD NOT HAPPEN AGAIN.

5.

I SAID THAT UNLESS THERE WERE ENCOURAGING DEVELOPMENTS ON THE

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