GR 240
མ--་ན་ལ་
SEORET
CRET
DESKBY 280100Z
FM FCO
271736Z MAR 79
TO IMMEDIATE PEKING
TELEGRAM NUMBER 212 OF 27 MARCH
FOLLOWING FOR SIR M MACLEHOSE FROM CORTAZZI
NEW TERRITORIES LEASES
THCKOVO!!
R. &
INDEX
2 9 MAR 1977
по
J24.3
1. YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT THE PRIME MINISTER, IN ENDORSING
THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S PROPOSAL THAT YOU SHOULD SOUND OUT THE.. CHINESE ON THE LEASES ISSUE DURING YOUR CURRENT VISIT TO PEKING, HAS SAID THAT THIS SHOULD BE WITHOUT COMMITMENT. THE PRIME MINISTER HAS ALSO NOW COMMENTED THAT SPECIAL ATTENTION WILL
HAVE TO BE GIVEN TO THE PUBLIC PRESENTATION OF ANY CHANGE OF POLICY ON LEASES IN THE NEW TERRITORIES AND, IN PARTICULAR, TO WHAT MIGHT BE SAID ABOUT THE EXTENT OF CHINESE ACQUIESCENCE IN THAT CHANGE. THE PRIME MINISTER HAS IN MIND THE POINT THAT CHINESE ASSOCIATION WITH THE QUOTE UNDETERMINED UNQUOTE FORMULA (ESSENTIAL, IF ITS PURPOSE IS TO BE ACHIEVED) WOULD HAVE IMPLICATIONS FOR THE CHINESE ATTITUDE TO THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG WHICH THE CHINESE MIGHT BE RELUCTANT TO SEE SPELLED OUT IN PUBLIC. THE PRIME MINISTER THEREFORE CONSIDERS THAT THE QUESTION OF PUBLIC PRESENTATION IS ONE WHICH DR OWEN MAY NEED TO
RAISE DURING HIS OWN VISIT TO PEKING.
2. MINISTERS WILL WISH TO CONSIDER THE RESULTS OF YOUR
SOUNDINGS BEFORE THE SECRETARY OF STATE LEAVES FOR CHINA ON 9 APRIL. IT WOULD THEREFORE BE HELPFUL IF YOU COULD TELEGRAPH A REPORT ON 29 OR 30 MARCH, BEFORE YOU LEAVE FOR XIAN.
OWEN
NO DISTRIBUTION
HD/HKGD
HDjFED
PS
PS/LORD GORONWY ROBERTS
PS/PUS
MR. STEPHEN
MR CORTAZZI MR MURRAY SIR-A-DUFF
SEORET