TNAG-2987-FCO40-3573-Future-of-Hong-Kong-constitutional-development-talks-betwee-1992 — Page 82

CONFIDENTIAL

Constit. Dept. (1)

(China)

043442

MDHOAN 1061

pr

MMB 01716 аль

CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO

TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

TELNO 1389

OF 181802Z SEPTEMBER 92

INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG

@

YOUR TELNOS 2353 AND 2354: CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUES: MESSAGE TO LU PING

1.

WE AGREE THAT THE AMBASSADOR SHOULD HAND OVER YOUR MESSAGE ON THE MORNING OF 26 SEPTEMBER EVEN THOUGH LU PING HIMSELF WILL NOT BE IN PEKING THAT DAY.

2.

WE ONLY HAD ONE THOUGHT ON THE DRAFT. IN THE VERSION WHICH REACHED US, IT ENDS RATHER LACONICALLY. INDEED WE WONDERED WHETHER SOME WORDS MIGHT HAVE BEEN DROPPED. AS NOW DRAFTED, THE MESSAGE DOES NOT MAKE THE POINT ABOUT A DEADLINE. THAT IS THE ONLY POINT AT WHICH IT DIFFERS FROM THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S PRESENTATION TO QIAN. BEARING IN MIND SIR R MCLAREN'S POINT THAT WE SHOULD NOT RUB THE CHINESE THE WRONG WAY BY BEING TOO DIRECT ABOUT A DEADLINE, WE WONDER WHETHER YOUR MESSAGE MIGHT END: ''I NOTE FROM ZHOU NAN THAT THE CHINESE SIDE, LIKE ME, WISHES TO CONCLUDE THESE DISCUSSIONS IN A TIMELY WAY. WE WILL NEED NEXT SPRING TO START MAKING THE NECESSARY PRACTICAL ARRANGEMENTS BY PUTTING PROPOSALS TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

HURD

YYYY

ΜΑΙΝ

72

HK POLICY

HKD

PUSD

FED

LEGAL ADVISERS//MS BARRETT

.AND MS BROOKS

NEWS D

DISTRIBUTION

76

PLANNERS

RAD

PS

PS/MR GOODLAD

SIR J COLES

MR APPLEYARD MR HUM

PAGE

1

CONFIDENTIAL