CONFIDENTIAL
042125
MDHAN 0277
ROSTENKOWSKI AND HAMILTON. THEY OBVIOUSLY THOUGHT THAT THE WHITE
HOUSE STAFF WERE ALL OVER THE PLACE AND WERE NOT TAPPING IN TO THE GOODWILL AND NOUS OF THE DEMOCRATIC LEADERSHIP ON THE HILL. SENATOR BILL BRADLEY, WHO COUNTS AS A WISE, PERCEPTIVE AND FAIR MINDED OBSERVER IN THESE MATTERS, WENT OUT OF HIS WAY TO MAKE SUPPORTIVE NOISES ABOUT THE PRESIDENT'S START BUT BY THE END OF HIS ENCOMIUM WAS SAYING MUCH THE SAME AS THE OTHERS.
15. SECOND, ONE IS PRETTY STRUCK BY THE AWESOME SCALE OF THE
PROBLEMS THAT THE PRESIDENT IS TRYING TO TACKLE ALL AT ONCE AND BY
THE LACK OF MUCH IN THE WAY OF COHERENT PHILOSOPHY FOR DOING SO. I DO NOT MEAN BY THIS ONLY THAT HE IS NOT AN IDEOLOGUE. BUT THERE IS A FLAVOUR OF BRIGHT-EYED, RATHER FRANTIC PRAGMATISM, BLOWN BY THE WIND OF POPULAR OPINION. IT IS NOT CLEAR WHETHER THE PRIMARY REQUIREMENT IS TO RECALL PEROT VOTERS TO THE COLOURS OR TO RESPOND TO HEADLINES. BUT I DO THINK THAT THE FORMATION OF POLICY ON CHINA MAY BE AFFECTED BY THIS STYLE.
16.
THIRD, AS EXHILARATING AS THE BARNSTORM HAS BEEN, I AM NOT UNDER THE ILLUSION THAT WE SHALL BE ABLE EASILY TO REPEAT THE TRICK. THE FACTORS WHICH HAVE CONSPIRED ON THIS OCCASION TO SHED A GENEROUS SPOTLIGHT OF INTEREST ON HONG KONG FROM BOTH THE HILL AND THE EXECUTIVE WILL BE DIFFICULT TO RE-ASSEMBLE ANOTHER YEAR. BUT WITH THE INVALUABLE HELP OF THE EMBASSY, HONG KONG'S OFFICES AND OUR WELL-CONNECTED CONSULTANTS SUCH AS STUART EIZENSTAT (WHO WE
WILL REGRETTABLY BE LOSING SOON AS HE TAKES UP HIS SPOT AS US AMBASSADOR TO THE EC) WE HAVE THIS YEAR BEEN ABLE TO REGISTER HONG KONG'S CASE WITH SOME FORCE AT THE HIGHEST LEVELS. WE WILL HAVE TO WORK EVEN HARDER IN THE COMING MONTHS TO BUILD ON THE SUPPORT AND UNDERSTANDING WE HAVE WON.
17. FCO: PLEASE ADVANCE TO PS/SOFS, PS/MR GOODLAD, MR RICKETTS (HKD).
RENWICK
YYYY
4
PAGE CONFIDENTIAL
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.