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DRAFT RECORD
SECRET
HONG KONG:
NEW TERRITORIES LEASES:
MEETING ON
8 AUGUST 1980
Present:
DSR 11C
Sir E Youde (Deputy PUS) (In the Chair)
Sir P Cradock (HMA Peking)
Mr R B Clift (Head, HKGD)
Mr RJ T McLaren (Head, FED)
Mr P Morrice (Assistant, HKGD)
Sir M MacLehose (Governor of Hong Kong)
Sir P Haddon-Cave (Financial
Secretary, Hong Kong)
Mr D R Ford (Hong Kong
Commissioner, London)
Dr D C Wilson (Political
Adviser, Hong Kong)
1.
Discussion was on the basis of a paper entitled 'Points
requiring further elaboration', the draft 'Points to Make'
for the brief for the Secretary of State's forthcoming visit
to China, and minutes by Mr Rushford (Legal Adviser) and
Mr Griffiths (Attorney-General of Hong Kong) of a meeting
of lawyers held on 1 August.
2.
Agreement was reached on the following points:
a) Whatever steps were taken on the leases issue, they
should have the endorsement of, or be acquiesced in by
the Chinese.
b) Any action taken on leases in the New Territories which
purported to ignore 1997 would be unacceptable.
c) Leases going beyond 1997 could not be granted unless
the first such lessee was a Chinese Government Agency
or official organisation, in which case the Chinese
Government should be told that what was being done.
could be challenged under British law and would
require the neccesary legal adjustment to be made.
SECRET
/Having
S4200(22454) DD.0532198 300M 7/79 GWB LTD.GP.870