GRS 190
PRIORITY
CONFIDENTIAL
121160161
16616/1.
2 1 55 98
171,
CYPHER/CAT A
MKK 12
FM F C O 150835Z
T..
DE YOU
CONFIDENTIAL
TO PRIORITY HONG KONG TELNO 711 OF 15 SEPTEMBER,
PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR FROM PUS.
MY TELNO 697
MFA.
1. I HAVE BEEN CONSIDERING HOW TO ADVISE YOU ABOUT YOUR POSSIBLE
RETURN. IT ISN'T EASY.
2. THERE WOULD CLEARLY BE LITTLE POINT INYOUR COMING BACK BEFORE
THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. THE PROBLEM HAS ONLY NOW GONE TO
MINISTERS, AND THERE CAN BE NO QUESTION OF THE PRIME MINISTER
FOCUSSING ON IT BEFORE THE WEEKEND, THE FACT THAT THE COUNCIL
WILL BE ASKED TO APPROVE THE BROAD LINES OF THE COMMISSION'S PROPOSALS ON 19/20 SEPTEMBER IS NOT IN PRACTICE A RELEVANT
CONSIDERATION SINCE-SO FAR AS WE CAN TELL- HONG KONG'S POSITION
WILL NOT IN PRACTICE BE MATERIALLY AFFECTED BY ANYTHING
THEN SAID. IN PARTICULAR, THE COUNCIL WILL NOT BE ASKED TO APPROVE THE BREAKDOWN OF FIGURES, WHICH THE COMMISSION HAVE NOT IN FACT YET PRODUCED, THEY WILL BE FOR SUBSEQUENT APPROVAL AT COREPER LEVEL.
3. ALTHOUGH IT WOULD BE GOOD TO MAKE A FIRM PLAN NOW, I THINK I MUST ASK YOU TO WAIT FOR A FURTHER TELEGRAM ON 20 OR 21
SEPTEMBER. BY THEN I OUGHT TO BE ABLE TO INDICATE WHICH WAY THE
MINISTERIAL WIND IN BLOWING ON THE SUBSTANCE OF THE PROBLEM.
MY PERSONAL GUESS, STRICTLY FOR YOUR OWN INFORMATION, IS THAT IT WILL PROVE ADVERSE.
OWEN
FILES
HD/HK & GD < HD/EID (E) PS/PUS
MR CCRTAZZI MR MURRAY MR FRETWELL
COPIES TO
MR MILTON HK & GD
CONFIDENTIAL
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