TNAG-2987-FCO40-3573-Future-of-Hong-Kong-constitutional-development-talks-betwee-1992 — Page 43

SECRET

501

MDHIAN 581

KONG DURING THEIR MEETING ON 26 SEPTEMBER (MY TELNO 1332). SIR E HEATH ALSO CALLED ON JIANG ZEMIN (ON THE EVENING OF 28 SEPTEMBER) AND SPECIFICALLY MENTIONED THAT HE WOULD BE SEEING THE GOVERNOR IN HONG KONG WHEN HE LEFT CHINA ON 1 OCTOBER. JIANG DID NOT USE THE OCCASION TO MAKE ANY WARNING NOISES ABOUT HONG KONG, BUT I WOULD NOT DRAW ANY COMFORT FROM THAT. LU PING ONLY RETURNED TO PEKING ON THE EVE OF THE NATIONAL DAY HOLIDAY AND I THINK IT UNLIKELY THAT ANY ANALYSIS OF WHAT WE HAVE TOLD THE CHINESE ABOUT THE GOVERNOR'S INTENTIONS ON CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUES WOULD HAVE BEEN SUBMITTED TO THE UPPER REACHES OF THE LEADERSHIP IN LU'S ABSENCE. WE KNOW FROM

LU'S MESSAGE TO THE GOVERNOR THAT

THE CHINESE REACTION HAS BEEN NEGATIVE.

MCLAREN

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ΜΑΙΝ

.HK POLICY

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DISTRIBUTION

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PLANNERS

HKD

PUSD

FED

LEGAL ADVISERS//MS BARRETT

.AND MS BROOKS

NEWS D

RAD

PS

PS/MR GOODLAD

SIR J COLES

MR APPLEYARD MR HUM

ADDITIONAL

CAB OFF//SIR R BRAITHWAITE CAB OFF//MS D CORNER

CAB OFF//MR CHARLTON PS/PM

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