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similar level.
We hope that Canada will press on all the other participants the need for maximum discretion. We will also need an agreed cover story in case of a leak. We suggest that this should be suitably vague on the lines that this is a seminar to discuss Asia Pacific issues with particular reference to Hong Kong.
On the themes for discussion, we would envisage the meeting spending about half the time on a thorough discussion of the political issues. In the course of this I and Hong Kong representatives would be happy to give a presentation on the present situation and the way ahead on the electoral issues and more generally in our relations with China over Hong Kong. We would propose covering the other items more briefly. Some of them are highly technical and detailed discussion are best left to the experts. Some items fall squarely into Hong Kong's autonomy. On those, I would not contribute. On the Commonwealth (the Canadian letter indicates that the reference is to Hong Kong and the Commonwealth) this is only a subject of relevance to the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada and might best be discussed briefly among the three of us plus Hong Kong in the margins.
On additional agenda items, we suggest adding international support for Hong Kong's Vietnamese migrant problems (do you have any others?)
- On timing, it would not be possible for us to prepare ourselves in time for a meeting on 10 January. The Latest Canadian proposal (31 January-1 February) also poses difficulties, given the Governor's visit to the United Kingdom the previous week, and the Foreign Secretary's appearance before the FAC. We would prefer a timing in late February or early March if this suited other participants.
4. If I am to participate in the meeting, it will need to be before the end of March (and I do not think it would be fair to inflict this on my successor). I suggest we propose as indicated above late February or early March and see how the Canadians respond.
5.
On Hong Kong participation, we leave it to you to decide whether you would come alone or (perhaps better) accompanied by an HMG colleague, possibly someone who could speak on the more
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