TNAG-2750-FCO40-3965-Most-favoured-nation-status-for-China-Hong-Kong-interests-1993 — Page 12

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105341 MDHIAN 186,

REPEATEDLY FOR DETAILS ON THESE AND ON THE STANDARDS OF ACHIEVEMENT. BUT HE SAID THAT THE ADMINISTRATION HAD NOT YET TAKEN

A FINAL DECISION.

5. OUR CONGRESSIONAL CONTACTS EXPRESSED CONSIDERABLE FRUSTRATION WITH WHAT THEY DESCRIBED AS THE ADMINISTRATION'S BUNGLING APPROACH. THE BEST GLOSS THEY COULD PUT ON THE ADMINISTRATION'S PERFORMANCE TODAY WAS TO SUGGEST THAT LORD AND HIS TEAM WANTED TO GET A SENSE OF OPINION BEFORE MAKING A FINAL DECISION ON WHICH SPECIFIC

CONDITIONS TO RECOMMEND.

6. OUR CONTACTS SAID THAT SEVERAL CONGRESSMEN WHO ATTENDED THE FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE SESSION PRESSED THE ADMINISTRATION TEAM FOR TOUGHER CONDITIONS. THERE SEEMED TO BE ACCEPTANCE THAT THESE SHOULD BE LIMITED TO THE HUMAN RIGHTS FIELD. BUT SOME COMMITTEE MEMBERS WANTED SPECIFIC CONDITIONS ON SUCH ISSUES AS TIBET, POW/MIAS, AND PRISON POPULATION. BY CONTRAST, THE WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE (WHICH IS MORE REPRESENTATIVE OF BUSINESS OPINION) SEEMED SATISFIED WITH THE ADMINISTRATION'S APPROACH, AND ARGUED THAT THE PROPOSED CONDITIONS WERE AT THE OUTER LIMIT OF WHAT WOULD BE ACCEPTABLE.

*

7 OUR CONTACTS TOLD US THAT THE ADMINISTRATION TEAM HAD HOPED TO BRIEF THE SENATE COMMITTEES TODAY BUT IT PROVED IMPOSSIBLE TO FIND A MUTUALLY ACCEPTABLE TIME. THEY WILL TRY AGAIN TOMORROW. THE ADMINISTRATION TEAM HAVE ALSO TOLD THE HOUSE COMMITTEES THAT THEY WANT TO BRIEF THEM AGAIN PROBABLY ON WEDNESDAY BY WHEN THEY

J

J

HOPE TO HAVE DECISIONS ON THE DETAILED CONDITIONS.

COMMENT

8.

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TODAY'S PROCEEDINGS SEEM TO HAVE BEEN A MESS. THE BEST GUESS AT PRESENT IS THAT WITH THE CONGRESSIONAL RECESS DUE ON THURSDAY

THE ADMINISTRATION WILL PROCEED WITH RENEWAL VIA AN EXECUTIVE ORDER AND WITH CONDITIONS FOCUSSED IN THE HUMAN RIGHTS FIELD.

9. ACCORDING TO HIS STAFF, HAMILTON (FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN) IS SATISFIED WITH THE ADMINISTRATION'S GENERAL APPROACH. HIS VIEWS WILL CARRY WEIGHT. BUT OTHERS ARE LESS HAPPY, AND SOME CONGRESSIONAL CONTACTS BELIEVE THAT UNLESS THE FINAL PACKAGE IS AN IMPROVEMENT ON TODAY'S PERFORMANCE THERE HAS TO BE A CHANCE THAT, WHEN CONGRESS RESUMES IN SEPTEMBER, IT MIGHT DECIDE THAT THE ADMINISTRATION'S EXECUTIVE ORDER PACKAGE IS INADEQUATE AND MAY SEEK TO SUPPLEMENT IT BY ADDITIONAL LEGISLATION.

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