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MDHOAN
THE EASTER RECESS.
(WE INCLUDED THE LATTER POINT IN ORDER TO STEER THE PRESS AWAY FROM ASSUMING THAT THE NEXT MEETING WILL BE IN MARCH: AS YOU KNOW CURRENT INTERNAL PLANNING IS THAT THE SECRETARY OF STATE SHOULD VISIT PEKING AND HONG KONG IN THE EASTER RECESS, IN APRIL).
3.
WE HAVE NOW SEEN A FULL TRANSCRIPT OF LU PING'S INTERVIEW. HE SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN CAREFULLY AMBIGUOUS ON THE QUESTION OF THE NEXT MEETING BETWEEN FOREIGN MINISTERS. HIS MAIN POINTS WERE THAT: FOREIGN MINISTER QIAN HAD SAID ON THE RECORD (TO A VISITING HONG KONG GROUP) THAT SINO-BRITISH RELATIONS MUST BE MAINTAINED: ACCORDING TO THE AIRPORT MOU FOREIGN MINISTERS SHOULD MEET BIANNUALLY: QIAN HAD SAID THAT IF ANOTHER MEETING WAS HELD IT SHOULD BE NEXT MARCH IN PEKING: BUT IT DEPENDED ON HOW THINGS WENT AND HOW BRITAIN WEIGHED THE PROS AND CONS.
4. WE RECOMMEND THAT, IF THIS IS RAISED WITH THE SECRETARY OF STATE, HE SHOULD NOT BE DRAWN INTO DETAILED COMMENT BUT SHOULD REITERATE THAT THE TWO PRIME MINISTERS AGREED IN 1991 THAT THERE SHOULD BE SIX-MONTHLY MEETINGS OF FOREIGN MINISTERS: AND THAT AS FAR AS WE ARE CONCERNED THAT REMAINS THE POSITION. WE PROPOSE TO TAKE A SIMILARLY LOW-KEY LINE HERE, AND TO DECLINE REQUESTS FOR SPECIFIC INTERVIEWS BY BRITISH MINISTERS ON THIS SUBJECT.
HURD
YYYY
ΜΑΙΝ
.HK POLICY
HKD
PUSD
FED
64
DISTRIBUTION
65
NTCD
PLANNERS
RAD
PS
LEGAL ADVISERS//MS BARRETT
./MS BROOKS AND MR GILES
NEWS D
PS/MR GOODLAD
SIR J COLES
MR HUM
ADDITIONAL
¡
HO/B4 DIV MR C KELLEY
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