30 April 1993
By Fax
CO Hum Esq AUSS
FCO
RESTRICTED
WH,
30h VCC Ins Everet, New&D,
ME SUCKIN
+ fa.
Mh. Bunten,
Jqk
Dear Christopher.
20/4
pa. Media
92
United Kingdom
Permanent Representation To the European Communities
Rond-Point Robert Schuman &
HKB 301/1
1040 Brussels
Telephone: (02) 287 82 11
Telex: 24312 simile: (02) 287 83 98 DID: (02)287 8248
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
05 MAY 1993
DESK OFFICER
INDEX
EC/CHINA JOINT COMMISSION: HONG KONG
REGISTRY
PA
Action Taken
1. You asked me on the telephone yesterday to check with the Commission what lay behind the statement in the__FT_report of 29 April from Brussels that "the future of Hong Kong will also be on the agenda" of the EC/China meetings yesterday and today. This was attributed to "a Brussels official".
the
2. I spoke this morning to Robert Madelin (Brittan Cabinet) and Madelin confirmed that Cees Wittebrood (van den Broek Cabinet). neither side had raised Hong Kong in the formal meeting yesterday, and that Sir L Brittan had confirmed this at the press conference in answer to a question. As agreed with us, question of Chinese trade discrimination against the UK France) had been raised privately at official level, but Madelin assured me that everyone on the Commission side understood the importance of the fact that this approach was informal.
3.
(and
Wittebrood also confirmed that van den Broek had no intention of raising Hong Kong in his bilateral today with the Chinese Trade Minister.
4.
the
There
These assurances deal with the substance of the problem: Commission are not discussing Hong Kong with the Chinese. remains the question of who briefed the FT correspondent to say the opposite, and why. We are pursuing this.
un
füncer
Beschen
S_J/Wright
copied to:
Heads: ECD (E)
FED
HKD
Mr Calvert
Mr Stagg
TOTAL P.02
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