Dr D C Wilson Political Adviser
Government Secretariat HONG KONG
SECRET
90
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
London SW1A 2AH
10 May 1979
4kk ovol
RECEIVED IN REGINARY NO. 51
1 1 MAY 1979
DEK OF CE
INDEX
PA
Dear Travid,
NEW TERRITORIES LEASES
No
£11.5
1. I enclose a copy of a minute from Bill Quantrill suggesting that in the light of Deng Xiaoping's remarks about the future of Hong Kong during the Governor's visit, we might now drop the idea of indeterminate leases and start issuing leases in the New Territories on the same bases as those in the rest of Hong Kong.
2. My first thoughts are that we have gone too far down the indeterminate leases road to change horses nowk and that the Chinese would be very unlikely to wear the idea anyway. Perhaps you would let me know if you think differently; there has not been time for Tony Rushford to comment.
ever,
Yours
Room
SECRET
RJT McLaren
Hong Kong & General Department