RR PEKING
GR 230
HKKC26/17
24 SEP 1990
INDEX
ملا
уши.
RESTRICTED.
FM FCO 221125Z SEPT 80
TO ROUTINE PEKING
PART A
TELEGRAM NUMBER 496 OF 22 SEPTEMBER
56A
59
PART A
FOLLOWING TELEGRAM NOW REPEATED TO YOU AT REQUEST OF HKGD WAS RECEIVED FROM UKMIS NEW YORK TELEGRAM NO 8 OF 21 SEPTEMBER.
FOLLOWING FROM HEAD OF NEWS DEPARTMENT IN NEW YORK
YOUR TELNOS 1216 AND 1219: SECRETARY OF STATES VISIT TO CHINA: PRESS
1. FCO SPOKESMAN HAS NOT SAID, EVEN UNATTRIBUTABLY, THAT THE SECRETARY OF STATES TALKS IN PEKING WILL INCLUDE QUOTE LONG TERM FUTURE OF HONG KONG UNQUOTE. AT OUR CURTAIN RAISER BRIEFING ON FRIDAY 19 SEPTEMBER THIS ASPECT WAS NOT EVEN MENTIONED.
2. I HAVE ASKED COI TO ISSUE A CORRECTION TO THEIR LPS PIECE. 3. IN TALKING TO THE PRESS HERE WE SHALL TAKE THE LINE IN PARAGRAPH 2 OF FCO TELNO 809 TO HONG KONG. WE SHALL NOT OF COURSE DENY THAT HONG KONG WILL BE DISCUSSED IN PEKING: IT IS AFTER ALL A SUBJECT OF DIRECT INTEREST TO BOTH GOVERNMENTS. BUT WE SHALL CONTINUE TO DISCOURAGE ANY IDEA THAT THE LONG TERM FUTURE OF HONG KONG WILL ITSELF BE A SUBJECT UNDER DISCUSSION BY CONCENTRATING ON THE IMMEDIATE PROBLEMS OF IMMIGRATION AND REFUGEES. THE IDEA OF QUOTE SECRET TALKS UNQUOTE WE SHALL DISMISS AS MERELY SILLY.
CARRINGTON
NNNN
C3A