CONFIDENTIAL
036442
MDADAN 6459
IT WOULD PROVIDE REASSURANCE IF PEOPLE KNEW THAT THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT WAS RECEIVING THE FULLEST POSSIBLE INFORMATION. IN ALL THE CIRCUMSTANCES WE HOPED THAT THE CHINESE WOULD NOT FEEL THEY MUST LIMIT THEMSELVES TO THE LETTER OF INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS. CHEN AND WANG TOOK NOTE.
7. CHEN ZENGQING SAID THAT HE, WANG FA AND ANOTHER COLLEAGUE HAD ACCEPTED AN HKNIC INVITATION TO VISIT HONG KONG FROM ABOUT 16 MAY: HE HOPED WE COULD TRY TO EXPEDITE VISA ISSUE. WE AGREED TO DO OUR BEST.
8.
ON THE WAY OUT, CHEN JINZHANG STRESSED AGAIN THAT PEKING WAS TAKING A CLOSE INTEREST IN THE TALKS AND THAT WE COULD LOOK FORWARD TO A GOOD OUTCOME TO THE NEXT ROUND.
COMMENT
9. THE CHINESE DID NOT MENTION THE HONG KONG TEAM'S COUNTER-PROPOSAL (PARA 4 OF HONG KONG TELNO 685 AND HONG KONG TELNO 690). THIS DISCUSSION SEEMS TO CONFIRM THAT THE PEKING AUTHORITIES TAKE A BROADER AND MORE FLEXIBLE VIEW THAN THOSE IN GUANGDONG, BUT AS SEEN FROM HERE IT WOULD BE WORTH HONG KONG'S CONSIDERING WHETHER THEY CAN PROVIDE SOME ORAL ASSURANCE THAT THEY UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE WHICH THE CHINESE ATTACH TO CONFIDENTIALITY AND THAT THEY WILL TAKE A PRUDENT AND RESPONSIBLE ATTITUDE REGARDING INFORMATION PROVIDED TO THEM. (CLEARLY THIS WOULD NEED CAREFUL DRAFTING TO AVOID SELLING ANY PASSES.) -
10.
WE CANNOT EXPECT THE CHINESE TO BE MUCH SWAYED BY THE IMPLICIT ARGUMENT THAT HONG KONG PEOPLE WOULD TRUST THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT MUCH MORE THAN THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES, BUT THE LATTER SHARE OUR INTEREST IN AVOIDING UNNECESSARY PUBLIC CONCERN IN THE TERRITORY. CHEN AND HIS COLLEAGUES GAVE EVERY INDICATION OF WANTING TO BE HELPFUL, BUT THEY EVIDENTLY FEEL THAT THE HONG KONG EXPERTS ARE BEING UNREALISTIC ABOUT THE AMOUNT OF INFORMATION THEY NEED CAND HAVE THE CAPACITY TO ANALYSE).
MCLAREN
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