TNAG-2779-FCO40-3998-Future-of-Hong-Kong-constitutional-development-Chinese-reac-1993 — Page 12

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MOLIAN

4. WE TOOK NOTE AND SAID THAT WE WOULD REPORT WANG'S REPRESENTATIONS. WE REJECTED THE SUGGESTION THAT THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT WAS SUPPORTING THE HONG KONG ALLIANCE: WE SAID THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR ENSURING THE RULE OF LAW IN HONG KONG INCLUDING THE PROTECTION OF THE RIGHT OF FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION WITHIN THE LAW. WANG SAID THAT WE HAD UNDERTAKEN NOT TO ALLOW HONG KONG TO BECOME A BASE OF SUBVERSION AGAINST THE CHINESE GOVERNMENTS. WE CONFIRMED OUR POSITION ON THIS BUT SAID THAT WE DOUBTED THAT THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT WOULD BE OVERTHROWN BY THE EXERCISE OF THEIR RIGHT TO FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION BY A FEW HUNDRED DEMONSTRATORS IN HONG KONG. WANG SAID WHAT MATTERED WAS THE OBJECTIVE OF AN ORGANISATION, NOT WHETHER IT WOULD ACHIEVE THAT OBJECTIVE. WE ALSO SAID THAT WE SAW NO CONNECTION AT ALL BETWEEN THESE DEMONSTRATIONS AND THE TALKS BETWEEN THE TWO GOVERNMENTS ON THE 1994/95 ELECTIONS. HOWEVER, WE AGAIN AGREED TO REPORT WANG'S POINTS AND SAID THAT WE WOULD GIVE A FURTHER RESPONSE IF NECESSARY.

MCLAREN

YYYY

DISTRIBUTION

72

MAIN

65

.HK POLICY

HKD

PUSD

FED

LEGAL ADVISERS//MS BARRETT LEGAL ADVISERS//MISS BROOKS

LEGAL ADVISERS//MR GILES

NEWS D

NTCD

PLANNERS

RAD

PS

PS/MR GOODLAD

SIR J COLES MR HUM

•

ADDITIONAL

7

CAOFF//SIR R BRAITHWAITE (DIO) CAOFF//MISS NEVILLE-JONES

CAOFF//MR SIBSON

PS NO 10.

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