CONFIDENTIAL
3374
MDLIAN 2271
4. KANTOR WAS KEEN FOR IDEAS ON HOW TO DEVELOP APEC. CHAU SAID IT WAS A USEFUL FORUM TO DISCUSS WAYS OF LIBERALISING TRADE AND SHOULD BE DEVELOPED GRADUALLY, BUT HE RAISED HONG KONG'S CONCERN ABOUT EARLIER AUSTRALIAN PROPOSALS FOR A HEADS OF GOVERNMENT MEETING WHICH MIGHT INCLUDE DISCUSSION OF SECURITY AND POLITICAL MATTERS.
5. KANTOR WARNED THAT FRAUDULENT TEXTILES TRANSHIPMENT FROM CHINA TO THE US WAS BECOMING A BIG ISSUE. CHAU EMPHASISED HOW SERIOUSLY THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT TOOK THE ISSUE AND BRIEFED KANTOR IN GENERAL TERMS ABOUT THE MEASURES TAKEN TO COMBAT SUCH ACTIVITY IN HONG KONG.
6. BROWN APPEARED EQUALLY RECEPTIVE TO CHAU'S BRIEFING ON THE DAMAGE TO HONG KONG OF MFN WITHDRAWAL: BUT HE ASKED FOR THE CO- OPERATION OF HONG KONG BUSINESSMEN TO HELP GET THE CHINESE LEADERSHIP TO REALISE THE SERIOUSNESS OF US CONCERNS ABOUT CHINA'S HUMAN RIGHTS, ARMS PROLIFERATION AND TRADE REGIMES. HE ALSO SOUGHT THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT'S EVEN CLOSER CO-OPERATION ON THE TRANSHIPMENT ISSUE. CHAU EMPHASISED THE HELP AND CO- OPERATION ALREADY BEING GIVEN BUT AGREED TO CONSIDER WHAT FURTHER HELP WE COULD OFFER.
7. WEIDEMANN WAS VERY FAMILIAR WITH AND SYMPATHETIC TO THE HONG KONG ARGUMENTS ON MFN. HE SAID THAT THE INTER-AGENCY REVIEW OF CHINA POLICY HAD REACHED HIS DESK AND WOULD BE CONSIDERED AT DEPUTY LEVEL WITHIN A FORTNIGHT. HONG KONG'S CONCERNS WOULD BE WEIGHED IN THE PROCESS.
8. SENATOR DASCHLE SAID HE WAS VERY SENSITIVE TO THE HONG KONG ARGUMENTS ON MFN: THERE WAS A NEED TO SEND CHINA A CLEAR SIGNAL ABOUT US CONCERNS: BUT MANY IN CONGRESS BELIEVED THIS COULD BE DONE IN A MODERATE WAY AND WANTED TO WORK WITH THE ADMINISTRATION ON THE SUBJECT.
9. SENATOR ROBB SEEMED LESS FAMILIAR WITH THE MFN ISSUE BUT UNDERSTOOD HONG KONG'S CONCERN. AS NEW CHAIRMAN OF THE EAST ASIAN AND PACIFIC AFFAIRS SUBCOMMITTEE HE WOULD BE VISITING CHINA, AMONG OTHER PLACES, DURING THE FORTHCOMING EASTER RECESS: HE REGRETTED THAT TIME PRECLUDED HIS VISITING HONG KONG AS WELL, BUT HE HOPED TO RETURN AT A LATER DATE. HE PLANNED TO HOLD A HEARING ON CHINA IN THE COMING MONTHS: THIS MIGHT ALSO COVER HONG KONG. HE WAS UNWILLING TO BE MORE SPECIFIC AT THIS STAGE. HE SAID THAT US CHINA POLICY AND THE MFN ISSUE IN PARTICULAR WOULD REQUIRE
2
PAGE CONFIDENTIAL
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.