TNAG-2732-FCO40-3938-Future-of-Hong-Kong-constitutional-development-1993 — Page 7

SECRET

SECRET

FM HONG KONG

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 888

OF 011155Z JUNE 93

INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG

THIS IS A COPY THE ORIGINAL HAS BEEN CLOSED UNDER

FOI EXEMPTION NO.....2701)

121431

MDHIAN 2947

PART TWO OF TWO

EXCO, 1 JUNE: CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

10.

I SAID THAT MR GOODLAD AND I HAD DISCUSSED MEANS OF GIVING AN IMPULSE TO THE TALKS SO THAT THE CHINESE SET OUT ALL THEIR PROPOSALS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. ANOTHER MESSAGE FROM THE FOREIGN SECRETARY MIGHT BE THE MEANS, BUT WE WOULD NEED TO TAKE HIS ADVICE.

11.

12.

I SAID THAT I KNEW NO LEGCO MEMBERS WHO BELIEVED IN THE SYMBOLIC POSITIONS THEY HAD ADOPTED. ALL OF THEM WOULD BE HORRIFIED IF WE WERE TO MAKE A FULL STATEMENT AFTER EACH ROUND OF TALKS. I WOULD CONTINUE TO TRY TO DAMP THEM DOWN IN PRIVATE. I HAD RECENTLY SEEN A GROUP OF PEOPLE (THE UDHK, BUT I DID NOT NAME THEM) WHO HAD TOLD ME THAT IF I PUT MY PROPOSALS TO LEGCO AS THEY WERE, THEY WOULD BE VERY SUBSTANTIALLY DILUTED. WHATEVER WAS AGREED WITH CHINA WOULD BE PASSED. THEREFORE I SHOULD GET THE BEST DEAL I COULD WITH CHINA.

13.

ASKED IF WE THOUGHT THAT THEY WOULD REALLY AGREE TO A GENUINE THROUGH TRAIN. EHRMAN SAID THAT ALTHOUGH SOME ON THE CHINESE SIDE WOULD TAKE A VERY HARD POSITION ON THIS ISSUE, THERE WERE CLEARLY OTHERS WHO RECOGNISED THAT IT WOULD HAVE TO BE NEGOTIATED. OTHERWISE THE NPC SPOKESMAN WOULD NOT HAVE SPOKEN AS HE DID THREE WEEKS AGO. THE CHINESE MUST ALSO SEE THAT THERE WAS SUPPORT FOR A THROUGH TRAIN FROM ALL SECTORS IN HONG KONG,

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