SECRET
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Foreign and Commonwealth Office
London S.W.1
22 November 1974
Sir Douglas Henley KCB H M Treasury
LAST REF.
(206)
Dear Dung los,
HONG KONG
. .
ด.
fidd
2574
Bin Lilly Bd 25141
Des
22/11
8525/11
Thank you for your letter of 21 November. I have also seen
DEFENCE REVIEW:
John Hunt's letter of 21 November, which has just reached me.
1.
2.
We are consulting the Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary
about the line he would wish to take in Cabinet on 25 November.
Meanwhile I agree that even if, on 25 November, Cabinet
should approve the inclusion in the Statement of wording on
Hong Kong closer to our preferred language than what at present
stands in the draft, there could in answer to any supplementaries"
be a reference to somewhat smaller forces and a somewhat
larger contribution by Hong Kong. As I said in my letter to
John Hunt of 19 November, this would cause fewer problems in
Hong Kong than a similar passage in the statement itself.
I would not see any need to volunteer these points unless
they were specifically raised.
But
3. You suggest, as a condition of Treasury agreement, that
formal consultations with Hong Kong should be brought forward
to start as soon as possible. It may well be that, if the
form of the statement is such as to stir up public comment
and opposition in Hong Kong, we shall find ourselves unable
to delay the opening of negotiations. But none of us here is
in a position to say with confidence whether this will improve
/the chances
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