TNAG-2733-FCO40-3939-Future-of-Hong-Kong-constitutional-development-1993 — Page 129

CONFIDENTIAL UK COMMS ONLY

سيم

pow. R Com De

CONFIDENTIAL

UK COMMS ONLY

FM FCO

TO IMMEDIATE GUIDANCE TELNO 31

OF 260956Z AUGUST 93

AND TO IMMEDIATE WASHINGTON, EC POSTS, TOKYO, OTTAWA AND TO IMMEDIATE CANBERRA, WELLINGTON, NEW DELHI

AND TO IMMEDIATE ISLAMABAD, MANILA, SINGAPORE

AND TO IMMEDIATE KUALA LUMPUR, BANGKOK, SEOUL, JAKARTA AND TO IMMEDIATE BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, MOSCOW

AND TO IMMEDIATE UKMIS NEW YORK, HOLY SEE, GIBRALTAR

AND TO IMMEDIATE UKDEL STRASBOURG, CAIRO

INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG, BTC HONG KONG, PEKING

INFO IMMEDIATE UKREP JLG HONG KONG

002322

MDHOAN 7234

THIS IS A COPY

THE ORIGINAL HAS BEEN

CLOSED UNDER

FOI EXEMPTION NO.....ZZO..

SIC

HONG KONG: TALKS WITH CHINA ABOUT ELECTORAL ARRANGEMENTS

INTRODUCTION (UNCLASSIFIED)

1. Our Guidance Telno 25 covered rounds 6 and 7 of our talks with China about the 1994/95 election arrangements for Hong Kong, and the meeting in Peking (8-9 July) between the Secretary of State and the Chinese Foreign Minister, Qian Qichen. We have now held two further rounds of talks: 20-22 July and 16-17 August. The tenth round will take place on 4-5 September.

2.

We have agreed with the Chinese side that the content of the talks remains confidential, but you may draw on paras 3-4 below in response to questions from your host government or from the media.

LINE TO TAKE

3. (i) The talks are now focussing on concrete issues. There is still a considerable gap between us, but we are working hard to reach a successful outcome.

(ii) Our aim remains agreement on election arrangements that are open, fair and acceptable to the people of Hong Kong.