GR 250
SECRE, T
SECRET
ise at HKK 026/17 HKK026/17
FM HONG KONG 281245Z AUG
некотор
MY NO.
TO IMMEDIATE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE AUG 1980
TELEGRAM NUMBER 1981 OF 28 AUGUST 1980
INFO PRIORITY PEKING.
SK OFFICER
PA
COPY
(88)
FOR HEAD OF HKGD.
MORRICE'S LETTER OF 19 AUGUST TO ME: SECRETARY OF STATES VISIT
TO CHINA.
1. FOR SUGGESTED AMENDMENTS TO THE DRAFT RECORD OF THE MEETING
ON 8 AUGUST, PLEASE SEE M IF T.
2. THE BACKGROUND NOTE ON LEASES AND THE ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES
FOR HONG KONG IS IN MY LETTER TO YOU OF 22 AUGUST, LEAVING BY
BAG ON 28 AUGUST.
3. MY ONLY COMMENTS ON THE SUPPLEMENTARY BRIEF ON LEASES ARE:- (A) PARA 2. 1 HAD NOT REALISED IT WAS PROPOSED TO HOLD DISCUSSIONS ON LEASES AT OFFICIAL LEVEL. INDEED WE WERE AGREED THIS SHOULD NOT
HAPPEN YET.
(B) A NEUTRAL REFERENCE TO THE FUTURE AND HONG KONG BEING DISCUSSED COULD CAUSE CONCERN HERE IF, AS IS POSSIBLE, NOTHING OF SUBSTANCE
COULD BE ADDED ABOUT DENG'S ASSURANCES COVERING LEASEHOLDERS AS
WELL AS INVESTORS. IT ALL DEPENDS ON HOW THE TALKS GO BUT I SUGGEST
THE PRESS LINE BE REDRAFTED, ON THE LINES:-
**WE TALKED OF HONG KONG, AND IN PARTICULAR HOW IMPORTANT IT
IS THAT THERE SHOULD BE CONTINUING AND EXPANDING COOPERATION
IN THE ECONOMIC FIELD TO THE MUTUAL ADVANTAGE OF CHINA AND OF
HONG KONG. IT IS CLEAR THAT HONG KONG HAS A ROLE TO PLAY IN
THE CONTEXT OF CHINA'S POLICY OF THE 'FOUR MODERNISATIONS”
•
see 89
THEN IF
HIS
THE S OF S HAS BEEN ABLE TO ENCOURAGE DENG TO BUILD ON
• 'HEARTS AT EASE ASSURANCE'' LAST YEAR
**WE TALKED OF THE LONGER TERM TOO, AND IMPORTANTLY I WAS TOLD
THAT THE STATEMENT MADE LAST YEAR TO THE GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG
THAT ''... HEARTS AT EASE ..." APPLIED TO LEASEHOLDERS IN HONG KONG AS WELL AS INTENDING INVESTORS”'.
(C) ADD AT END OF PARAGRAPH 5 ''IN THIS CASE TOO WE WOULD WISH THE FIRST LEASE TO BE IN FAVOUR OF A CHINESE AGENCY OR OFFICIAL
ORGANISATION''.
MACLEHOSE
LIMITED
HK&GD
FED
PS/MR BLAKER SIR E YOUDE ME DONALD
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