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NOT INTERVENE AFTER 1997 TO DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN THOSE WHO SUPPORTED AND THOSE WHO REJECTED YOUR PROPOSALS).
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ON CONTRACTS AND FRANCHISES, THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN MAJOR ONES WHICH WOULD NEED TO BE DISCUSSED IN THE JLG
AND MINOR ONES WHICH WOULD BE DEALT WITH IN ONE COMPREHENSIVE STATEMENT (A CASE OF THE CHINESE HAVING TO REPAIR DAMAGE DONE BY THEIR EARLIER STATEMENT: BUT AT LEAST IT CLARIFIES THE POSITION CONSIDERABLY AND LEAVES US BACK MORE OR LESS WHERE WE STARTED).
ON JARDINES, THE ATTEMPT TO PLAY DOWN ANY IMPRESSION THAT THE CHINESE ATTACK ON JARDINES WAS PART OF A WIDER OFFENSIVE AGAINST BRITISH BUSINESS IN HONG KONG.
ON THE AIRPORT, THE FACT THAT THERE WAS NO EFFORT TO SELL HUANGTIAN AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO CHEK LAP KOK AIRPORT, AND THAT LU PING WENT BACK TO SPARRING ABOUT COSTS OF THE NEW AIRPORT.
ON THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S MEETING WITH QIAN, THE CAREFULLY AMBIGUOUS TERMS OF THE COMMENTS ATTRIBUTED TO QIAN (SOME BRITISH PRESS REPORTS EG THE TELEGRAPH HAVE PLAYED THIS UP AS A THREAT THAT THE MEETING COULD BE CALLED OFF IF YOU DO NOT ABANDON YOUR PROPOSALS).
2.
WE KNOW THAT YOU ARE PLANNING TO LET US HAVE A TELEGRAM ON 5 JANUARY ROUNDING UP RECENT INDICATIONS OF A SHIFT IN THE CHINESE APPROACH. IT WOULD BE HELPFUL IF THIS COULD INCLUDE COMMENTS ON THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE LU PING INTERVIEW AND ANY THOUGHTS ON THE ABOVE POINTS.
3. WE ARE TELEGRAPHING SEPARATELY WITH THE PUBLIC LINE WE ARE USING IN RESPONSE TO LU PING'S COMMENTS ABOUT THE FOREIGN MINISTERS' MEETING.
HURD
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