TNAG-2987-FCO40-3573-Future-of-Hong-Kong-constitutional-development-talks-betwee-1992 — Page 60

LNMDAN 4187

CONFIDENTIAL

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DD 2 TOOZ FCOLN

FM HOON TO FCOLN

240719Z SEP

GRS 192

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO DESKBY FCO

TELNO 2396

OF 240719Z SEPTEMBER 92

INFO DESKBY 2409OOZ PEKIN

INFO IMMEDIATE UKREP JLG HONG KONG

Hith 017.

1916

p.a. Coust. Derp. ссии,

27

(1 Rigs (h)

D

Ꮑ

Janis

(Z).

Ch-244

Mise San

(Incorporated)

P1

PERSONAL FOR HUM, AUSS FROM GOVERNOR

174

YRTELNO 1425: MY VISIT TO PEKING

1. I AGREE THAT THE LONGER INTERVAL BETWEEN MY LEGCO SPEECH AND MY VISIT TO PEKING IS UNHELPFUL. IT WILL, AS YOU SAY, GIVE THE CHINESE LONGER TO WORK THEMSELVES INTO A STATE OVER THE IMPLICATIONS OF MY PROPOSALS. IT WILL ALSO MAKE IT MORE DIFFICULT FOR US TO KEEP THE INITIATIVE IN TERMS OF PUBLIC OPINION IN HONG KONG.

2. BUT I AM CONCERNED THAT THE FORMULA PROPOSED IN PARA 2 OF TUR, PARTICULARLY THE LAST SENTENCE, WILL GIVE THE CHINESE THE IMPRESSION THAT WE ARE WORRIED ABOUT THIS. I THEREFORE SUGGEST THE FOLLOWING ALTERNATIVE:

'THE GOVERNOR WILL NOW BE VISITING PEKING FROM 21-23 OCTOBER. AS YOU KNOW, HE HAD HOPED TO MAKE THIS VISIT EARLIER, VERY SHORTLY AFTER HIS LEGCO SPEECH, BUT IT HAS BEEN DELAYED AT YOUR REQUEST. HE LOOKS FORWARD GREATLY TO DISCUSSING HIS PROPOSALS FULLY WITH THE CHINESE SIDE DURING HIS VISIT, AND IN EXPLAINING MORE FULLY THE THINKING BEHIND HIS PROPOSALS.'

3. I AGREE THAT MY MESSAGE TO LU PING SHOULD BE ADJUSTED SIMILARLY.

PATTEN

YYYY

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