TNAG-2990-FCO40-3574-Future-of-Hong-Kong-constitutional-development-talks-betwee-1992 — Page 127

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INFIDENTIAL

2

COMMENTARY PREPARED BY THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT

1.

In recent days, Chinese officials

have referred to diplomatic exchanges

between British and Chinese Ministers in

early 1990.

2.

Diplomatic exchanges between

Governments are normally confidential.

But,

in the interests of openness and at the

suggestion of the Chinese side, the

Secretary of State has decided that these

messages should be made public. They make

plain the true nature of the discussions

between the two sides in 1990, and in

particular that there are no understandings

which the British side have breached.

The messages, the texts of which

3.

are attached, are:

First, a message from Mr Douglas

Hurd to Mr Qian Qichen of 18

January 1990. Mr Hurd expressed

the view that 20 directly elected

CONFIDENTIAL

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