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REGISTRY Acton Teken i
TELNO 413
COPY BT?
OF 150905Z MARCH 93
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
YOUR TELNO 248: HONG KONG: SECRETARY OF STATE'S OFFICE MEETING
1.
WE HAVE REPORTED TO YOU THE INITIAL REACTIONS OF GAZETTING FROM THE CHINESE, AND ALSO REACTIONS IN HONG KONG. WE HAVE NOT YET HAD A CHANCE TO STUDY LI PENG'S WORK REPORT TO THE NPC IN DETAIL, BUT HE DOES NOT APPEAR TO HAVE RULED OUT TALKS EXPLICITLY. NOR DID THE MFA STATEMENT ON 13 MARCH AS WE READ IT. NCNA VICE-DIRECTOR QIN WENJUN, WHO IS IN PEKING, IS REPORTED THIS MORNING AS SAYING THAT CHINA WANTED CO-OPERATION AND NOT CONFRONTATION ON THE SINO-BRITISH TALKS. CHEN ZIYING, HKMAO VICE DIRECTOR, WHEN QUESTIONED AT THE WEEKEND, ALSO DID NOT RULE OUT TALKS.
2.
AGAINST THAT, NCNA OFFICIALS IN HONG KONG TOOK A VERY HARD LINE INITIALLY, SAYING THAT HONG KONG OFFICIALS HAD NO RIGHT TO PARTICIPATE IN TALKS AND THAT THERE WOULD BE NO FURTHER CONTACT WITH THE BRITISH SIDE. SUBSEQUENTLY THEY SAID THAT THE CHINESE POSITION HAD BEEN FULLY SET OUT IN THE MFA STATEMENT. ANOTHER UNHELPFUL REMARK, THIS TIME FROM PEKING, WAS MFA SPOKESMAN WU JIANMIN'S STATEMENT AT THE WEEKEND THAT HONG KONG OFFICIALS WOULD NOT HAVE A RIGHT TO SPEAK IN ANY TALKS.
3.
THE COMMUNITY HAS ON BALANCE BEEN SUPPORTIVE OF THE DECISION TO GAZETTE. A POLL AT THE WEEKEND GAVE 41 PERCENT IN FAVOUR OF GAZETTING, 22 PERCENT AGAINST, AND 37 PERCENT WITH NO VIEW. BUT IT IS ALSO TRUE THAT THE OVERWHELMING MAJORITY OF PEOPLE STILL WANT TALKS TO GA AHEAD.
I AM NOT SURE THAT IT WOULD BE RIGHT FOR US TO TAKE THE INITIATIVE IN GOING BACK TO THE CHINESE IMMEDIATELY. THERE WOULD NOT BE MUCH POINT IN OUR TELLING THEM AGAIN HOW WE WOULD DESCRIBE OUR TEAM.
MOREOVER
I HAVE NOW MADE THE POINTS PUBLICLY BEFORE LEGCO. I SUGGEST THEREFORE THAT WE SHOULD WAIT A FEW DAYS TO SEE IF THE CHINESE
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