TNAG-2919-FCO40-4194-International-support-for-Hong-Kong-the-Americas--excluding--1993 — Page 21

HAD 021/7

2 5 NOV 1993

CONFIDENTIAL AND PERSONAL

16 Novem

16 November 1993-

BY FAX:

R N Peirce Esq Political Adviser HONG KONG

Den Bob,

ли подкого

to he

wave

23/11

(we might be called on to produce briefings Material

for Candiceus- although bod as if it will

happen in HK if at all)

тра

Foreign & Commonwealth

Office

London SWIA 2AH

Telephone: 071-

por with buck

papers not 23/11

Mr Barnes-Jones ✓

dar Ricketts of

pa

¥23/~

CANADIAN PROPOSAL FOR MULTILATERAL MEETING ON HONG KONG

1.

Thank you for your letter of 3 November, recording the suggestion of the Canadian Commissioner that the Asia Directors of the UK, US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Japan should meet to discuss Hong Kong. I have also seen Martin Dinham's minute of 4 November recording the Governor's views. We have discussed the idea here, and I have consulted John Coles.

(I

2. The Canadian Government have certainly been most supportive over our Hong Kong policy, and it is good that the Canadians are so strongly represented in Hong Kong. recall John Higginbotham from Peking in the early 1980s, and remember him as an effective operator). It would be nice to give a welcome to his suggestion, and also to find a way of bringing his new government up to speed on Hong Kong. We share the Governor's desire not to pour too much cold water on the Canadian proposal. But we find it difficult to know how it could best be put into effect.

-

3. We do not rate very high the chances of getting representatives of these governments together at Asia Director level to discuss Hong Kong let alone in an unpublicised format. They are senior and visible and busy people. It was a miracle that we could get five Asia Directors together at Chevening for discussion on China, and do it without any publicity. Following that meeting (at which of course Hong Kong was discussed) we fear that Winston Lord would be less attracted by a meeting focussed exclusively on Hong Kong. So too would Ikeda and, as you say, he would be very wary of the risks of unwelcome publicity.

4.

We can think of no forum at which the Asia Directors from all the countries concerned can be expected to meet

/(although

CONFIDENTIAL AND PERSONAL

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