TNAG-2794-FCO40-4034-Relations-between-Hong-Kong-and-Taiwan-1993 — Page 116

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FM ATTC TAIPEI

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

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INDEX

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Action Taken

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TELNO 40

OF 180915Z FEBRUARY 93

AND TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

INFO ROUTINE PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG, BTC HONG KONG

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HONG KONG TELNO 248: TAIPEI CULTURAL AND INFORMATION CENTRE IN HONG KONG

1. GIVEN THAT THERE IS, AS HONG KONG ADMIT, NOTHING WE CAN DO TO PREVENT THE TAIWANESE MAKING THE MOVE, NOR, I SUSPECT ADOPTING WHATEVER NAME THEY CHOOSE, THE FORMULA IN PARA 3 OF MY TELNO 39 WAS PROPOSED SO AS TO TRY AND MEET, AS FAR AS POSSIBLE, HONG KONG'S WISHES, WITHIN THE REALITIES OF THE SITUATION, WHICH SEEM TO BE THAT TAIWANESE CAN DO WHATEVER THEY WISH IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE.

2. I DO NOT KNOW EXACTLY WHEN THE PRESENT LEASE EXPIRES AND HU (GOVERNMENT INFORMATION OFFICE) IS CHASING ME BECAUSE HIS PEOPLE 'NEED TO GET OUT OF THEIR PRESENT PREMISES VERY SOON'. THE IDEA OF SUGGESTING THAT THEY SHOULD NOT MOVE UNTIL 31 MARCH WAS TO AVOID ANY 'ACCIDENTS' DURING WHAT I IMAGINE WOULD BE A CRITICAL PERIOD IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE OPENING OF THE LEGCO DEBATE. IF YOU WANT ME TO ASK FOR A LATER DATE THEN I CAN DO SO, BUT HU WILL THINK WE ARE BEING UNREASONABLE WHEN HE IS TRYING TO BE HELPFUL. ALTERNATIVELY, WE COULD SIMPLY TELL HIM TO MOVE AT THE EXPIRY OF HIS PRESENT LEASE, WHENEVER THAT IS.

3. I HAVE GO HU TO AGREE TO MAKE NO ANNOUNCEMENT AT THE TIME OF THE MOVE, BUT HE SAYS THAT HE WILL WANT TO SAY SOMETHING ABOUT HIS ENLARGED OFFICE IN HONG KONG AT SOME POINT, WHICH IS NOT SURPRISING. HE IS, HOWEVER, PREPARED TO WAIT UNTIL THE END OF THE YEAR. IF WE GO ALONG WITH THIS, WE MAY FIND THAT THE NEED FOR AN ANNOUNCEMENT SIMPLY FADES WITH TIME.

4. HU IS BASICALLY ON OUR SIDE. HE HAS ALREADY CONCEDED OUR MAJOR REQUIREMENT, I.E. NO NAME CHANGE. HE IS IMPORTANT TO ME IN OTHER AREAS AND WILL, I SUSPECT, BECOME EVEN MORE SO IN THE FUTURE. LET US NOT LOSE HIS SYMPATHY BY PUTTING DEMANDS ON HIM WHICH MAY BE DIFFICULT FOR HIM TO PRESENT TO HIS OWN PEOPLE, PARTICULARLY WHEN WE DO NOT HAVE THE POWER TO PREVENT THEM ACTING AS THEY WISH.

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