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OQ
HKK 42:(+)
Mr Youde
Sir D Watson
zej c
!= XK 3/548/15
1.
1+kk 3/5 4/8/15 (13
See redraft
PIA
(124)
23/11
Flag A
DOP PAPER ON BILATERAL RELATIONS WITH HONG KONG
1.
The Cabinet Committee GEN 190 on Hong Kong is due to hold
its next meeting on 23 November. We have agreed to produce for
discussion at that meeting a draft DOP paper in accordance with
the Prime Minister's wishes conveyed in Lord Bridges's letter of
26 September.
The obvious basis for this paper is the Secretary of
Flag B State's minute of 20 September and the progress we have made on
specific issues since then. I have produced a short draft paper
accordingly and attach a copy.
NXX 4/2 Flag
4)
2. The trouble with this is the same as we faced when we first
considered how to present the problem to Ministers. There is
nothing very much for DOP to consider or to decide. All that we
need is Ministerial acceptance that a problem of bilateral relations
exists and a direction that we should try to solve each point of
conflict as it arises in the context of this overall problem. The
paper therefore necessarily tails off at the end. N evertheless in
the context of the Prime Minister's visit, when he will undoubtedly
be confronted with, and perhaps surprised by, the extent of
bitterness in Hong Kong, there is obvious merit in examining the
reasons in advance and making it clear how we are tackling the
problem.
3. The alternative would be a more wide ranging paper covering
our under-lying interest in Hong Kong as well as the Chinese
dimension.
This would follow the lines of January's general review
/and would
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