CONFIDENTIAL
165222
MDHIAN 7484
THE AGENDA ITEMS ON A BILATERAL BASIS WITH INTERESTED PARTIES RATHER THAN IN THIS WIDER FORUM.
6. THAT SAID, THE PROPOSAL NOW SEEMS TO HAVE BUILT UP A HEAD OF STEAM FOR THE CANADIANS. THEY HAVE GIVEN US A LOT OF SUPPORT OVER THE YEARS WHICH HAS BEEN VALUABLE; AND THIS PROJECT IS CLEARLY INTENDED TO BE HELPFUL. THEY ALSO HAVE A LARGER STAKE THAN MOST IN HONG KONG, AND THEREFORE A VERY LEGITIMATE INTEREST IN DISCUSSING THE SUBJECTS WHICH THEY ARE PROPOSING. WE HAVE AN INTEREST IN ENSURING THAT THEIR NEW ADMINISTRATION IS AS POSITIVE AS ITS PREDECESSOR.
7. THE GOVERNOR WOULD THEREFORE LIKE OUR RESPONSE TO BE AS
POSITIVE AS POSSIBLE. CLEARLY, THE TIMING PROPOSED IS AMBITIOUS, AND THE COMMISSION HAVE ALREADY TOLD US THAT THEY RECOGNISE THIS. I SUGGEST WE THEREFORE TELL THE CANADIANS THAT WE WOULD BE HAPPY TO PARTICIPATE IN AN EVENT OF THIS KIND IF OTHERS ARE ALSO INTERESTED. HOWEVER, A JANUARY TIMING WOULD BE LOGISTICALLY DIFFICULT AND WE WOULD IN ANY CASE PREFER TO GET A LITTLE FURTHER DOWN THE TRACK FIRST IN OUR DECISION-MAKING OVER ELECTORAL ISSUES. A TIMING IN THE SPRING MIGHT THEREFORE BE BETTER. IN THE MEANTIME, WE WOULD BE HAPPY TO EXPLAIN OUR THINKING BILATERALLY ON ANY ISSUES THEY MAY LIKE TO RAISE.
8.
ASSUMING THIS MEETING DOES GET OFF THE GROUND, WE WILL NEED TO THINK CAREFULLY WHETHER WE WANT TO OFFER CHANGES OR ADDITIONS TO THE AGENDA; AND HOW HMG AND HKG MIGHT PARTICIPATE. A JOINT TEAM MIGHT BE THE ANSWER.
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