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pn.
G DIST?
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FM PEKING
TO DESKBY 27094OZ FCO
TELNO 1493
OF 270915Z OCTOBER 92
MAB 012/6 T
AND TO DESKBY 27094OZ HONG KONG
INFO IMMEDIATE UKREP JLG HONG KONG
Cumangle
174434
MDHIAN 5042
108
PERSONAL FOR HUM, AUSS AND RICKETTS, HKD, FROM AMBASSADOR
HONG KONG PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR
UKREP JLG PERSONAL FOR GALSWORTHY
(104
HONG KONG TELNO 2566:
ELECTION COMMITTEE
1. TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE THE TEXT RIGHT, IT WOULD BE HELPFUL IF HONG KONG COULD FAX THE FINAL VERSION OF THE COMMENTARY THIS EVENING (27 OCTOBER) TOGETHER WITH ANY DOCUMENTS, OTHER THAN THE EXCHANGE OF MESSAGES, WHICH IT IS PLANNED TO RELEASE WITH THE COMMENTARY.
2. ASSUMING THE PRIME MINISTER IS CONTENT I SHALL BE READY TO TAKE ACTION ON THE MORNING OF 28 OCTOBER. I CANNOT HOWEVER BE CERTAIN OF OBTAINING AN APPOINTMENT WITH A SENIOR INTERLOCUTOR IN THE MFA/STATE COUNCIL AT VERY SHORT NOTICE. IF I INFORM THE CHINESE THAT THE GOVERNOR PROPOSES TO MAKE THE DOCUMENTS PUBLIC AT LUNCH TIME ON THE SAME DAY, IE WITHIN A FEW HOURS, THE RESPONSE COULD WELL BE THAT WE SHOULD DELAY PUBLICATION UNTIL HIGHER AUTHORITY HAS BEEN CONSULTED. SINCE THIS HIGHER AUTHORITY IS LIKELY TO INCLUDE LU PING AND POSSIBLY QIAN QICHEN, THE CHINESE ARE UNLIKELY TO PROVIDE A REPLY DURING THE COURSE OF THE DAY. EVEN IF THEY DO THEY MAY STILL OBJECT, PERHAPS THREATENING TO PUBLISH THE WHOLE GAMUT OF DIPLOMATIC EXCHANGES WHICH COULD BE LINKED, HOWEVER TENUOUSLY, TO THE 1995 ELECTIONS.
3.
AGAINST THIS BACKGROUND, I NEED TO KNOW WHETHER YOU WOULD WISH ME TO INDICATE, AS POLITELY AS POSSIBLE, THAT WE INTEND TO GO AHEAD WITH PUBLICATION OF THE DOCUMENTS LATER ON 28 OCTOBER WHETHER OR NOT THE CHINESE HAVE GIVEN THEIR AGREEMENT.
MCLAREN
YYYY
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