TNAG-2736-FCO40-3944-Hong-Kong-role-of-the-Legislative-Council-(LEGCO)-1994 — Page 49

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I enclose a brief supportive statement for the FCO spokesman to make on the record here tomorrow morning (I am clearing this in parallel with the Secretary of State). I have also encouraged Private Office here to arrange for the Number 10 press office to make some supportive comment once the Governor has spoken.

On how the Governor should deal with the Chinese position on appointed membership if asked in LegCo (Hong Kong telno 1825), we suggest that he should stick to the second tiret. The first reveals a point made in a private session of the talks. Once the talks have irrevocably broken down, we will want to make full use of this gaffe - and it is now covered in detail in the draft White Paper, coming to you separately. But until that point, we think that it would be better used in unattributable briefing rather than by the Governor from the podium of LegCo.

You ever.

PF Ricketts

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CC Nigel Cox, PEKING

state.PET.JRB

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