TNAG-2734-FCO40-3942-Hong-Kong-role-of-the-Legislative-Council-(LEGCO)-1993 — Page 179

CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO

TO DESKBY 24010OZ HONG KONG

TELNO 156

OF 23123OZ FEBRUARY 93

CONFIDENTIAL

HKB 012/3

RECEN

15 MAR 1993

ISTRY

DESK OF

INDEX

PA

INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG

ì

14

004652

MDHOAN 9171

Aken

Pa

SZE'S LETTER TO RICKETTS OF 23 FEBRUARY AND PEKING TELNO 264: LEGCO QUESTION

1. Given the state of our discussions with the Chinese, the reply to the LegCo question on 24 February can only be a holding operation. We imagine that LegCo will be dissatisfied that they cannot be told more, whichever of the proposals replies is used. Since it will not be

possible to satisfy them, we believe that it would be worth going for the version which most effectively denies the Chinese any pretext for a further public wrangle about the confidentiality of the discussions. On those grounds, we prefer the alternative suggested in Peking's TUR.

HURD

YYYY

MAIN

.HK POLICY

HKD

PUSD

FED

64

DISTRIBUTION

65

NTCD

PLANNERS

RAD

PS

LEGAL ADVISERS//MS BARRETT

./MS BROOKS AND MR GILES NEWS D

PS/MR GOODLAD

SIR J COLES MR HUM

ADDITIONAL

1

CAOFF//SIR R BRAITHWAITE (DIO)

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CONFIDENTIAL