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(e) we should try to avoid a situation in which, if the new British consortium loses the CLP contract, this is blamed on a swing of opinion against Britain due to a bad textile deal;
(f) if there is no alternative to obliging Hong Kong to swallow what it believes is bitter medicine, then there is much to be said for letting Sir M MacLehose be seen to have stated Hong Kong's case in person. Conversely, if he does not do so, there will be a body of opinion in Hong Kong asserting that Britain is preventing him from doing so (and I would expect this body of opinion to discover sooner or later that Ministers had favoured concessions for India and Pakistan but not for Hong Kong).
4. I see no reason to burden Ministers with HKGD's detailed analysis of Hong Kong's case, but if the whole matter has to be submitted to them I think it would be right to say that we have reservations on the strength of this case, at least as it has been presented.
9 September 1977
Releton.
Mr Ryfillon
I
Миниау
Munuke
DF Murray
Dru
Dil 13 ally with Mr
agree generally
делён
Please ensure that
larly submission is made
Ministers.
Fre
10
6/1x
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