TNAG-2794-FCO40-4034-Relations-between-Hong-Kong-and-Taiwan-1993 — Page 79

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HKCC 020/5

(37)

112230

MDLIAN 2898

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FM ATTC TAIPEI

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELNO 80

OF 250929Z MARCH 93

Mi

on Tak

14/TAIWAN

ozols

AND TO PRIORITY PEKING, HONG KONG, SINGAPORE

INFO ROUTINE WASHINGTON, UKREP JLG HONG KONG, BTC HONG KONG INFO ROUTINE TOKYO, SEOUL, UKMIS NEW YORK, UKMIS GENEVA

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MY TELNO 70 (NOT TO SINGAPORE): TAIWAN'S EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

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SUMMARY

TAIWAN/CHINA DIALOGUE SOUGHT. INVOLVEMENT OF OPPOSITION. MAJOR MEETING LIKELY IN SINGAPORE. MEMBERSHIP OF IFI'S NEXT STEP.

DECLARATION OF INTENT TO STAY ON IN HONG KONG AFTER 1997.

2. DETAIL

DEBATE ON THE GOVERNMENT'S ONE CHINA POLICY CONTINUES, INCLUDING SUGGESTIONS THAT THE THREE 'NOS' OF NO CONTACT, NO FORMAL TALKS AND NO COMPROMISE MIGHT EVENTUALLY BE DROPPED, PROVIDING CHINA MODIFIES ITS POSITION REGARDING THE THREAT OF FORCE, ISOLATION OF TAIWAN IN THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY, AND NON-RECOGNITION OF TAIWAN AS A POLITICAL ENTITY.

AN

3. AGAINST THIS BACKGROUND, THERE ARE HOPES - AND FEARS THAT THE NEW ROUND OF DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE STRAITS EXCHANGE FOUNDATION (SEF) AND ITS MAINLAND COUNTERPART COULD MAKE SOME PROGRESS.

THESE TALKS SEEM TO BE TAKING PLACE AT THREE DIFFERENT LEVELS.

SEF DELEGATION LEAVES FOR PEKING TODAY FOR TECHNICAL DISCUSSIONS ON DOCUMENTATION. THIS WILL BE THE RENEWAL OF EARLIER TALKS HELD ON HONG KONG WHICH REACHED STALEMATE. THE REAL PURPOSE, HOWEVER, IS PROBABLY TO PAVE THE WAY FOR A MEETING BETWEEN CHEYNE CHIU, THE NEWLY APPOINTED SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE SEF, AND HIS MAINLAND OPPOSITE NUMBER. THEY IN TURN WILL BE PREPARING THE GROUND FOR TALKS BETWEEN THE CHAIRMAN OF THE SEF (C F KOO) AND THE CHAIRMAN OF THE ASSOCIATION FOR RELATIONS ACROSS THE TAIWAN STRAITS (WANG TAO-HAN). THE MEETING IS EXPECTED TO TAKE PLACE IN APRIL IN SINGAPORE. THIS WAS CONFIRMED WHEN I CALLED ON CHIU ON 23 MARCH. HE SAID THAT SENIOR MINISTER LEE KUAN YU HAD OFFERED HIS SERVICES WHEN HE VISITED TAIPEI IN FEBRUARY. HE WAS NOT SEEKING ANY POLITICAL ROLE, MERELY TO FACILITATE CONTACT BETWEEN THE TWO SIDES WHICH WAS CERTAINLY WELCOME AS FAR AS THE TAIWANESE WERE CONCERNED.

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