25.
I SUMMED UP AS FOLLOWS:
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MDHIAN 9787
(A) I HAD MADE CLEAR CONSISTENTLY THAT THERE WOULD BE NO SECRET DEALS. THE CHINESE WANTED SECRECY IN EVERY SENSE. WE WOULD HAVE TO MAKE AN ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT THE TALKS. WE COULD NOT ADOPT A FINAL OUTCOME IF WE WERE NOT SURE IT WAS ACCEPTABLE.
(B) THE CHINESE HAD DROPPED THEIR PRE-CONDITION THAT I MUST WITHDRAW MY PROPOSALS. BUT I WANTED THE TALKS TO BE SUCCESSFUL AND WE SHOULD NOT CROW OVER IT. WE WOULD BE BEST SERVED BY TAKING AS LITTLE NOTICE AS POSSIBLE OF ALL THE CONDITIONS WHICH QIAN WAS NOT TRYING TO SET FOR DISCUSSIONS.
(C) IF WE TRIED TO AGREE A DETAILED AGENDA WITH CHINA THERE WOULD BE NO TALKS. PROVIDED WE OBTAINED PARAGRAPH 1 OF OUR ANNOUNCEMENT OR SOMETHING CLOSE TO IT, THAT WOULD BE ACCEPTABLE.
(D) THE QUESTION OF GAZETTING WAS VERY EVENLY BALANCED. MY JUDGEMENT WAS THAT WE SHOULD NOT ENTER TALKS IN ANYTHING OTHER THAN A SPIRIT OF WANTING THEM TO BE SUCCESSFUL. IT WAS PROBABLE THAT GAZETTING WOULD AT LEAST MAKE TALKS VERY HARD AT THE OUTSET. OF COURSE IF WE MADE NO PROGRESS FOR TWO OR THREE ROUNDS WE COULD RECONSIDER GAZETTING.
(E) I THOUGHT THE POINTS ABOUT A DEADLINE HAD BEEN WELL MADE. AFTER SOME DISCUSSION THE COUNCIL AGREED TO ADD THE FOLLOWING SENTENCE TO THE END OF THE SECOND PARAGRAPH OF THE ANNOUNCEMENT: 'THE GOVERNOR AND THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL BELIEVE THAT TALKS MUST BE CONCLUDED IN TIME FOR LEGISLATION TO BE ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL DURING ITS PRESENT SESSION SO THAT THE 1994/95 ELECTIONS CAN BE HELD ON SCHEDULE'.
(F) NO ONE MUST EXPECT THAT WE WOULD MAKE EARLY CONCESSIONS. IF WE DID WE WOULD END UP WITH A PACKAGE WHICH WAS NOT ACCEPTABLE.
(G) WE WOULD NEED TO MAINTAIN AN INFORMAL LINK TO LEGCO, DISCUSSING WITH THEM AT APPROPRIATE STAGES WHETHER THERE WERE POSSIBLE WAYS TO HOLD THE 1994/95 ELECTIONS WHICH WERE SIMILAR BUT NOT IDENTICAL TO MY PACKAGE. I WOULD NEED TO HAVE A GOOD DEAL OF CONTACT WITH ONE PARTY LEADER IN PARTICULAR. LEGCO WERE
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