TNAG-2910-FCO40-4185-International-support-from-Asia-regarding-the-future-of-Hong-1993 — Page 37

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4.

Since my return to London I have seen the text of a message from Yamamoto of the Japan Centre for International Exchange, the organisers of the UK/Japan 2000 Group meeting, to the British organisers. I attach a copy. You will see that he too has expressed misgivings that to hold the proposed seminar in Hong Kong could "politicise" the Group and divert it from its principal mission.

5.

It is clear from the range and intensity of the misgivings that have been expressed to us that the Japanese regard the idea of holding the seminar in Hong Kong as a considerable hot potato. The idea of the seminar itself seems to interest them: but there seems to us to be a real risk that if we persist with the intention of locating it in Hong Kong, even with participation from China as well as Hong Kong, we may run into an impasse. If the opposition to Hong Kong does materialise and is as strong as seems likely, it seems to us that there is no feasible alternative to proposing a different venue, presumably either in Japan. or in the UK, and reverting to a strictly bilateral (UK/Japan) format. This would be regrettable, and I fully understand the attractions for you of the Hong Kong dimension, but I think it would be necessary if the basic concept is to be salvaged.

6.

It would be helpful to have your reactions to all this. We understand that the British members of the Group are likely to raise the matter at their pre-conference meeting with the Prime Minister on 22 February, and we shall need to brief him accordingly.

7.

I

7.

All this is of course quite distinct from the question of the Governor's attendance at the annual conference of the Group in March. I detect from Yamamoto's message slight misgivings about this too. am not sure what the Governor's plans for Japan now are, in view of the need to lighten his programme. No doubt you will be considering carefully how the visit, and the inevitable public attention which it will attract, will play with all our audiences including the Chinese.

cc: NJ Cox Esq, Peking

GH Fry Esq, Tokyo

Mr Ricketts, HKD Mr Davies, FED

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