TNAG-2990-FCO40-3574-Future-of-Hong-Kong-constitutional-development-talks-betwee-1992 — Page 47

CONFIDENTIAL

MA3 01762

Cluca

Angle

175476 MDHOAN 3240-

CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO

TO DESKBY 28010OZ PEKING

TELNO 857

OF 271932Z OCTOBER 92

AND TO DESKBY 28010OZ HONG KONG

INFO IMMEDIATE UKREP JLG HONG KONG

CORRECTED VERSION

YOUR TELNO 1493 AND HONG KONG TELNO 2574: ELECTION COMMITTEE : PUBLICATION OF MINISTERIAL EXCHANGES

1.

MINISTERS HAVE DECIDED THAT IN RESPONSE TO THE PRESSURE IN HONG KONG FOR PUBLICATION OF THE MESSAGES REFERRED TO BY LU PING AT HIS PRESS CONFERENCE, WE SHOULD TAKE THE INITIATIVE TO PUBLISH THE RELEVANT DOCUMENTS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

THE DOCUMENTS CONCERNED ARE THOSE LISTED IN HONG KONG TELNO 2565 (NOW REPEATED TO PEKING).

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3. PLEASE THEREFORE SEEK A MEETING AS SOON AS POSSIBLE ON 28 OCTOBER WITH THE MFA/STATE COUNCIL AND SPEAK ON THE FOLLOWING LINES :

- LU PING PROPOSED THAT THE GOVERNOR SHOULD CONSIDER THE PUBLICATION OF THE EXCHANGES BETWEEN THE TWO SIDES RELATING TO THE COMPOSITION OF THE ELECTION COMMITTEE IN ORDER TO CLARIFY THE FACTS

- WE HAVE CONSIDERED THIS PROPOSAL AND TAKING ACCOUNT OF THE FACT THAT HE CHOSE TO REFER PUBLICLY TO THESE DOCUMENTS HAVE DECIDED TO DO HE SUGGESTED. ACCORDINGLY, WE AND THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT PLAN (UNLESS THE CHINESE SIDE OBJECT) TO MAKE PUBLIC THE TEXTS OF THE RELEVANT DOCUMENTS ON THE AFTERNOON OF 28 OCTOBER HONG KONG TIME (YOU SHOULD GIVE THE CHINESE A LIST OF THE DOCUMENTS CONCERNED BUT NOT A COPY OF THE COMMENTARY ITSELF)

4. PLEASE REPORT TO HONG KONG AS SOON AS YOU HAVE TAKEN ACTION. WE AGREE (HONG KONG TUR) THAT IF THE CHINESE ASK YOU NOT TO PUBLISH SOME OR ALL OF THESE TEXTS, HONG KONG SHOULD NOT (NOT) PUBLISH, AND SHOULD MAKE KNOWN PUBLICLY THE REASON. IF THE CHINESE SEEK TO DELAY, WE AGREE THAT YOU SHOULD TELL THEM THAT THEY HAVE UNTIL 4PM HONG KONG TIME TO CONSULT HIGHER AUTHORITY,

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