TNAG-2822-FCO40-4072-Hong-Kong-boundaries-and-territorial-waters-1993 — Page 4

CONFIDENTIAL

172606

MDHOAN 2523

obtaining the Chinese side's agreement in the JLG that the boundary set out in the MOU should be adopted by the NPC as the HKSARG boundary. They are all too likely to maintain their adamant refusal to discuss this subject in the JLG: they would be most likely to continue to argue that this is a purely internal matter.

7. We therefore wonder whether it is worth considering further the third option set out in para 8 of Hong Kong telno 456. That option envisages securing an agreed line with the Guangdong authorities but not implementing it before 1997. We would not envisage telling the Guangdong authorities that this was our intention, since we do not want to remove the Guangdong authorities' incentive to reach agreement. We accept that this option would not do anything to alleviate the immediate problem of incursions but, in the light of the difficulties involved in pursuing implementation either with or without the corresponding Legislative amendments, is there not a case now for giving it further consideration?

HURD

YYYY

MAIN

.HK POLICY

56

DISTRIBUTION

61

NTCD

HKD

PUSD

FED

LEGAL ADVISERS//MS BARRETT

LEGAL ADVISERS//MISS BROOKS

NEWS D

PLANNERS

RAD

PS

PS/MR GOODLAD

SIR J COLES

MR HUM

ADDITIONAL

5

CAOFF//MR SIBSON PS NO 10.

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