CONFIDENTIAL
011446 MDHIAN 6598
5. JIANG REPLIED THAT THE NPC S/C WAS EVEN NOW DISCUSSING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE PWC/PC. BEFORE A FINAL DECISION WAS MADE NO NEWS REPORT WAS AUTHORITATIVE AS FAR AS NAMELISTS WERE CONCERNED. HE HAD NOT GIVEN ME A NAMELIST BECAUSE IT WAS STILL UNDER DISCUSSION. I REPLIED THAT I WOULD LOOK TO SEE IF THE FINAL LIST WAS IN ANY WAY DIFFERENT FROM WHAT HAD ALREADY APPEARED IN THE
PRESS.
6.
JIANG THEN SAID THAT THE CHINESE SIDE BELIEVED THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE PWC/PC WAS A MATTER FALLING WITHIN CHINESE SOVEREIGNTY AND THAT THEREFORE THE QUESTION OF GIVING ASSURANCES TO THE BRITISH SIDE DID NOT EXIST. HE HAD IN ANY CASE ALREADY EXPLAINED IN CLEAR-CUT TERMS THE CHINESE ATTITUDE ON THOSE MATTERS WHERE THE BRITISH SIDE HAD SHOWN CONCERN: IE THAT THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE PWC/PC WOULD NOT AFFECT THE NORMAL FUNCTIONING OF THE JLG: THAT CHINA HAD ALL ALONG STRICTLY ABIDED BY THE JD: THAT THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE PWC/PC WOULD NOT INTERFERE IN THE BRITISH ADMINISTRATION OF HONG KONG WHICH WOULD END ON 30 JUNE 1997: AND THAT CHINA WOULD STRICTLY OBSERVE THE BL WHICH THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE PWC/PC WAS AIMED AT IMPLEMENTING.
7.
I SAID THAT WE DID NOT CONTEST THAT THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THIS BODY WAS A MATTER FOR CHINESE SOVEREIGNTY BUT NONETHELESS WE HAD LEGITIMATE CONCERNS BECAUSE THE TWO GOVERNMENTS HAD RESPONSIBILITIES UNDER THE JD TO WORK FOR A SMOOTH TRANSITION. JIANG REPLIED THAT HE HAD ALREADY CLEARLY EXPLAINED CHINA'S POSITION. I REPEATED THAT I WAS GRATEFUL FOR THE ASSURANCES, WHATEVER JIANG LIKED TO CALL THEM, HE HAD GIVEN.
8.
OR
COMMENT. JIANG DID NOT ASK ME TO TREAT WHAT HE HAD SAID AS CONFIDENTIAL AND I SEE NO REASON WHY WE SHOULD NOT REPEAT WHAT HE TOLD ME ABOUT NON-INTERFERENCE IN REPLY TO PRESS QUESTIONS AFTER
BUT I THE ESTABLISHMNENT OF THE PWC/PC HAS BEEN FORMALLY APPROVED. SUGGEST WE REFRAIN FROM USING THE WORD 'ASSURANCES' IN DOING SO.
MCLAREN
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