TNAG-2786-FCO40-4005-Hong-Kong-UK-Parliamentary-and-other-interest-in-constitutio-1993 — Page 132

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I understand only too well the sensitivity in Hong Kong amongst a small portion of the population I also understand the way in

which they are seeking to exploit it.

The last paragraph on the third page of your letter of 24th March indicates that Chris Patten's timetable is dictated by the dates of the Summer Recess in July. To suppose that the date of LegCo's Recess is more important than reaching an agreement with the Chinese seems to me to be an odd allocation of priorities. Perhaps we should put the date of our Recess here ahead of the needs of Maastricht ...!

In the third paragraph on page 4 of your letter, you state optimistically that "publication of the legislation should not (my underlining) make it more difficult to begin talks with China". It has! That it has, should clearly come as no surprise to those accustomed to dealing with the Chinese.

You do not deal with the points that I made about the timing of the Governor's activities. To undertake not one, but two acts which would inevitably be seen as provocative in Beijing, immediately prior to a meeting of the National Peoples Congress, seems reckless.

You refer, at the end of your letter, to the need to work calmly for co-operation with China. In your letter to me you have underlined yourself, at the end, that we remain ready to sit down and talk to the Chinese at any time. I have taken the liberty of suggesting to the Chinese Ambassador privately that the best thing he could do is to ask the Foreign Minister to invite Chris Patten and you to visit Beijing together. In this way we could keep the Governor involved without at an initial meeting- falling foul of Chinese sensitivity about the involvement of Hong Kong Government people. The Ambassador seemed a bit doubtful that the Chinese Government would be willing to issue such an invitation at a very early date, but I share your view that this would be a sensible way to proceed. The fact that the Chinese have now suggested reopening discussions is good news indeed.

I told the Ambassador that I think their attempts to humiliate Chris Patten are unworthy of a major world power and equally unworthy of China's diplomatic

diplomatic heritage. Unless the talks succeed, my vision

my vision of the likely outcome is not particularly rosy. I can see the Governor being side-lined. He will be like a man standing on a small island surrounded by the incoming tide. I do not believe that any of this helps the people of Hong Kong.