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060642 MDHIA 3374
COME BACK TO US. MING PAO OF 14 MARCH SAYS THAT CHINA WILL SHORTLY CONTACT US TO SHOW ITS GREATEST SINCERITY (ALTHOUGH OTHER POINTS IN THE MING PAO ARTICLE SUGGEST THAT THIS SINCERITY WILL INCLUDE TELLING US THAT HONG KONG OFFICIALS CANNOT NOW TAKE PART IN TALKS AND THAT CHINA WILL SET UP ANOTHER STOVE AT AN APPROPRIATE TIME).
5. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE CHINESE COULD PROPOSE A MEETING AT FOREIGN MINISTER LEVEL AND QUOTE THE OBLIGATION IN THE AIRPORT MOU AT US. THIS WOULD BE A VERY UNATTRACTIVE PROSPECT, WHEN THERE IS NO SIGN WHATSOEVER OF THE CHINESE WANTING TO DO A DEAL. WE MIGHT MAKE THE POINT, IF THEY DO MAKE SUCH A PROPOSITION, THAT THERE WOULD NEED TO BE A GOOD LIKELIHOOD OF ACHIEVEMENTS COMING OUT OF A MINISTERIAL MEETING BEFORE IT COULD BE HELD. FOR THAT PREPARATORY WORK IS NECESSARY. IF THE CHINESE CANNOT AGREE WITH US ON THE FORMAT FOR TALKS WHICH WE HAVE BEEN DISCUSSING RECENTLY, COULD THEY AGREE TO PREPARATORY DISCUSSIONS IN THE JLG, WHICH IS THE FORUM AFTERALL SUGGESTED BY QIAN QICHEN IN OCTOBER 1992? WE THINK THEY ARE UNLIKELY TO ACCEPT THIS, BUT IT MIGHT HAVE TACTICAL VALUE.
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6.
IN TERMS OF THE LEGISLATIVE TIMETABLE HERE, THERE IS NO NATURAL OPPORTUNITY TO INTRODUCE THE LEGISLATION ON EITHER 17 OR 24 MARCH. THE BUDGET WILL TAKE UP BOTH DAYS. I AM THINKING IN TERMS OF INTRODUCTION ON 31 MARCH. NOT ONLY SHOULD THAT HAVE GIVEN TIME FOR ANY FURTHER CHINESE PROPOSAL TO BE FULLY DISCUSSED. IT IS ALSO THE LAST OPPORTUNITY FOR INTRODUCTION BEFORE LEGCO HAVE A 3 WEEK RECESS. (BUT DURING THE RECESS DISCUSSIONS IN THE LEGCO HOUSE COMMITTEE AND BILLS COMMITTEE WOULD GO ON IF WE HAD INTRODUCED THE BILL INTO LEGCO ON 31 MARCH.) DEPENDING ON DEVELOPMENTS IN THE COURSE OF THIS WEEK, WE MAY NEED TO GIVE THE CHINESE WARNING OF THIS DATE A LITTLE NEARER THE TIME SO THAT THEY CANNOT ACCUSE US OF SPRINGING A SURPRISE ON THEM AT THE LAST MINUTE. BUT IT WOULD ALMOST CERTAINLY BE BETTER TO DO THIS INFORMALLY RATHER THAN FORMALLY. WHEN FACED WITH A FORMAL DEADLINE, THEIR INSTINCT IS ALWAYS TO PUSH US BEYOND IT OR TO TRY TO CORNER US JUST BEFORE IT EXPIRES.
7. YOU ASKED ABOUT THE EFFECT ON AIRPORT AND JLG BUSINESS OF NO TALKS. UKREP ARE RESPONDING SEPARATELY ON THIS.
PATTEN
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THIS IS A COPY THE ORIGINAL HAS BEEN
CLOSED UNDER FOI EXEMPTION NO. 27(1)
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