hum2.6
HKB 180/2
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
1^ JUN 1993
CONFIDENTIAL
DESK OFFICER
REGISTRY
FROM:
PF Ricketts
INDEX
PA
Action Taken
Hong Kong Department
DATE:
2 June 1993
CC:
Sir J Coles
Mr Fry, FED
Mr Hum
PS/Mr Goodlad
JARDINES/CHINA
1.
As agreed, I discussed with Sir R McLaren in Peking the request from Sir C Powell (attached) that the Embassy press the Chinese for a reaction to their earlier representations on the subject of discrimination against Jardines.
2.
I
Since Sir C Powell wrote, things seem to have moved on a bit. Sir C Powell has himself, I understand, had dinner with Ma, and will at Ma's suggestion be going to Peking one side. or the other of the Jardines' AGM in Hong Kong on 7 June. separately met Martin Barrow in Peking. He had been giving the Chinese advance notice of the resolution of Jardines' secondary listing issue in Hong Kong and had been quite warmly received, by all accounts. There have also been some interesting press articles in Hong Kong suggesting that all Jardines need to do in order to restore relations is to make a statement that they are a commercial firm with no political aims.
3.
I therefore propose to check with Sir C Powell whether he still thinks further action by the Embassy is necessary or useful. Sir R McLaren's view was that a further approach on the lines of the last one would achieve nothing - other perhaps than to signal to the Chinese side that their approach was working by making Jardines anxious. He therefore thought that if Jardines still wanted the Embassy to act, the only approach which might be effective would be to ask MOFTEC bluntly how document 93/440 squared with China's undertaking on non-discrimination in the recent EC/China communique, and with the GATT. That would be a
CONFIDENTIAL
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