SECRET
0215
MDHIAN 1676
(C)
THE MIDDLE WAY. LU PING HAD DENIED THE ATV REPORT
IN THESE CIRCUMSTANCES WE COULD REPLY TO TOMORROW'S LEGCO QUESTION BY SAYING THAT WE HAD BEEN IN DISCUSSIONS ABOUT TALKS FOR SOME TIME, THAT WE HOPED THEY WOULD LEAD TO ACTUAL TALKS, THAT TO HELP THAT PROCESS WE HAD DELAYED GAZETTING, BUT THAT WE COULD NOT DELAY FOREVER AND WOULD NEED TO GAZETTE SOON IF AGREEMENT ON TALKS COULD NOT BE REACHED. WE WOULD TELL THE CHINESE THROUGH THE AMBASSADOR THAT SOON' MEANT 5 MARCH AND THAT IT WAS A REAL DEADLINE. SOME IN LEGCO WOULD SAY THAT WE HAD BROKEN OUR COMMITMENT TO INTRODUCE LEGISLATION IN FEBRUARY. BUT IT WOULD BE HARDER, IF WE ADOPTED THIS OPTION, TO WRONG-FOOT US ON SINCERITY, AND IT WOULD GIVE THOSE IN PEKING WHO WERE ADVOCATING TALKS A LITTLE MORE TIME.
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THE CHIEF SECRETARY SAID THAT THE QUESTION OF COMMUNITY PERCEPTION WAS MOST IMPORTANT. TO GAZETTE ON 26 OR 27 FEBRUARY WOULD BE A GAMBLE. THE CHINESE, IF THEY HAD NOT REPLIED BY THEN, WOULD SAY THAT THEY HAD BEEN ABOUT TO REPLY AND THAT WE WERE UNREASONABLE.
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THIS IS A COPY THE ORIGINAL HAS BEEN
CLOSED UNDER
FOI EXEMPTION NO...27(1) ..........
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