CONFIDENTIAL
046732
16
MDHOAN
FROM QIAN TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S MESSAGE UNTIL THE TWO MET. AND THE FACT OF A BILATERAL ON 20 MAY WOULD LEAVE THE TALKS IN PEKING MARKING TIME, AT LEAST FOR THE FIRST DAY. BUT AS YOU SAY, THAT CANNOT BE HELPED.
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WE ARE PROPOSING THAT THE SECRETARY OF STATE SHOULD AIM TO COVER BILATERAL AND INTERNATIONAL ISSUES BRIEFLY, AS WELL AS HONG KONG, AND THAT 90 MINUTES SHOULD BE ENOUGH GIVEN THAT THIS WILL NOT BE A NEGOTIATING SESSION. ON HONG KONG, WE ARE RECOMMENDING THAT THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S MAIN OBJECTIVE SHOULD BE TO GIVE A POLITICAL IMPETUS TO THE TALKS, BY REINFORCING THE TWO KEY POINTS IN HIS MESSAGE, IE THAT WE ARE NOT PREPARED TO GO ON ARGUING ENDLESSLY ABOUT PRINCIPLES, AND THAT THE CHINESE WILL FIND US OPEN-MINDED AND CONSTRUCTIVE IF THEY ARE PREPARED TO TELL US WHAT PRACTICAL ARRANGEMENTS THEY WANT. WE HAVE ALSO PROPOSED, AS YOU SUGGEST, THAT THE SECRETARY OF STATE PUT IN BRIEF PLUGS FOR THE NEW AIRPORT FINANCING PROPOSAL, AND FOR PROGRESS IN THE JLG.
6"
ON PUBLIC PRESENTATION, WE WOULD NOT WANT TO BUILD UP ANY PUBLIC EXPECTATIONS OF BREAKTHROUGHS, OR OF THE TALKS BEING RAISED TO A HIGHER LEVEL. WE ARE THEREFORE PROPOSING THAT THE LINE SHOULD BE THAT THE PRESENCE OF THE TWO FOREIGN MINISTERS IN NEW YORK WAS A GOOD OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM TO MEET, BEARING IN MIND THE COMMITMENT IN THE MOU TO MEET TWICE A YEAR, AND THAT THEY WOULD BE DISCUSSING A RANGE OF HONG KONG, BILATERAL AND INTERNATIONAL ISSUES. WE ARE GLAD THAT YOU THINK THAT IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES, IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE TO EXPLAIN TO HONG KONG OPINION THAT HKG REPRESENTATIVES WOULD NOT BE PARTICIPATING AT
THE MEETING.
HURD
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CONFIDENTIAL
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