TNAG-2786-FCO40-4005-Hong-Kong-UK-Parliamentary-and-other-interest-in-constitutio-1993 — Page 10

Mr Masefield

PS/Mr Goodlad

Private Secretary

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Ms

? M. Decundon ples.

lor p.w/

Meeting

Ć Chinese

Ambasader

FROM:

G. H Fry,

Far Eastern Department

DATE:

30 December 1993

CC:

Mr Hum o.r

Mr Hand, HRPD

Mr Ricketts/HKD

4/

OR

Mr McLean, BE Beking Mr Pierce, Political Adviser, Hong Kong

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@epa.

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CHINA: LORD HOWE ́S REPORT:

FOLLOW-UP

1. Both we and Lord Howe have for some time been pressing the Chinese for a formal response to his delegation's Report on their visit to China in December 1992. Mr Liu Shuqing, President of the People's Institute for Foreign Affairs (PIFA), the delegation's formal host, has now written to Lord Howe to say that the Chinese "do not appreciate" the Report because it "fails to tally with facts" and because it comments on China's "internal affairs".

2. This response is disappointing and disobliging, but hardly unexpected. The only positive element is that Mr Liu invites Lord Howe to visit China again "as an old friend" and agrees in principle to send a delegation to the UK "at an appropriate time", although he puts down an early marker that such a visit should not have a human rights focus.

3. I recommend that we instruct our Embassy in Peking to approach PIFA early in the New year to discuss dates for a possible visit to the UK. The exact focus of the visit will no doubt require careful negotiation, and we can also expect further Chinese procrastination. It seems right however, for the moment to keep the focus on our invitation to a Chinese delegation rather than trying to set up a further visit to China by a British one.

Graham Toy

Graham Fry (270-2951)

fed14/GEN/mnhowe2912

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