TNAG-2798-FCO40-4038-Hong-Kong-six-monthly-meetings-of-foreign-ministers-1993 — Page 30

Piraty bevetany

The Minister has and is content with

IN them's line.

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Sperty

HCC 02141 RECENSENNOISTRY

INDEX

2575

MAT 1993

REGISTRY Action Token:

FROME CO Hum

DATE:

CC:

24 May 1993

PS/PUS

Sir J Coles

Mr Fry, FED

Mr Morris, HKD

28776

25 MA 1993

25

(3

6. J. Dorey irls Minister

PS/Mr Goodlad

Private Secretary

Anzais

BILATERAL MEETING WITH CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTER

A

1.

B

C

(30)

Washington telno 1148 sought advice for the Secretary of State on the idea of proposing a bilateral meeting with Qian Qichen on 9 July, following the G7 Summit in Tokyo.

(31)

2. I attach Peking telno 714 recording the advice of Sir R McLaren, which was agreed with his Hong Kong talks team. Their view is that a meeting could be very useful but we should not offer one now: the possibility should be left open in the Secretary of State's diary until much nearer the time. Sir R McLaren believes the Secretary of State should offer to go to Peking rather than pressing for a meeting on neutral ground in the Far East (which would be politically difficult for Qian). The Governor broadly shares these views (Hong Kong

telno 828).

-(32

3. I agree with this advice. There are good reasons for seeking a meeting with Qian before the summer break, rather than skipping a turn and waiting until the next encounter at the General Assembly in New York:

there are clear indications that Qian is playing an increasingly active (and positive) role on Hong Kong issues;

the offer of a meeting would demonstrate our own. interest in maintaining the course of dialogue rather than confrontation;

it would also show that we at least were seeking to abide by the terms of the airport MOU.

4. Where the practicalities are concerned, I think it would be better to offer a meeting in Peking (to be strictly limited in time) rather than to haggle over alternative venues in the Far East. On the timing of an approach to the Chinese we will need to strike a balance: a long lead-in will tend to blight the chances of progress in the Hong Kong negotiations, but some time will be needed to pin Qian down and make the

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