28 September 1993
Martin Dinham Esq Government House
HONG KONG
SECRET
012/3
REC
013
ISTRY
SISTRY
Laken
89
GOVERNOR'S ADDRESS TO LEGCO
Many thanks for sending us a copy of the extracts from the Governor's speech dealing with relations with China.
1.
2.
The following are our immediate comments. Mr Goodlad has seen these, but the Secretary of State (who is in New York) has not. I propose to send a copy of the draft speech to New York with Christopher Hum. He will let you know direct from New York whether the Secretary of State has any further changes to propose in the light of the bilateral with Qian.
3. We had very few comments on the substance of the speech. We thought that it covered the ground very effectively and got the balance right between the constitutional talks and Hong Kong's broader relations with China. Some minor points of language and presentation are set out in the Annex. In addition to these, we had the following more substantial points:
The
We thought that the passage on the JLG (paras 148 to 149) ought to refer to the decision reached on Defence Lands. Governor might also make the point that there is no British interest to be served by resolving issues on the JLG agenda: settling these issues would benefit the SAR and China;
The question of a deadline in the negotiations (para 169 to 170). This is a crucial passage in the speech. We agree on the need to avoid laying down an ultimatum. But we did not think that the point emerged clearly enough from these paragraphs that there is an irresistible practical deadline only a matter of weeks away. We wonder whether the point / might be built up somewhat, along the lines of the attachment to this letter;
We thought that the Governor's peroration could usefully refer back at some point to the earlier material in the speech on Hong Kong's shared destiny with China. We make a suggestion in the detailed comments attached.
PF Ricketts
gov.add.PET.JRB
SECRET
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