SECRET
LORD PRIVY SEAL'S VISIT TO HONG KONG : 8 TO 10 JANUARY 1982
BRIEF NO 1 : STEERING BRIEF
OBJECTIVES
1.
a) To reassure the local community and its leaders that HMG
will maintain their commitment to the Territory;
b) To get a first-hand impression of Hong Kong;
c) To discuss the Hong Kong angle to subjects to be raised
during the Lord Privy Seal's visit to China;
d) To support British commercial interests in the light of
Mr Rees' visit in December 1981.
BACKGROUND TO VISIT
2. The Secretary of State visited Hong Kong in March 1981. In
1979, the announcement of a UK resettlement quota of 10,000
Vietnamese refugees in Hong Kong and the swift reinforcement of
the Hong Kong Garrison, provided concrete evidence of HMG's con-
tinuing commitment to Hong Kong. However, a number of other
developments in the last 2 years (eg the Nationality Act) have
given rise to fears that the UK is distancing itself from Hong Kong
and that local interests are being overlooked. This coincides with
a period in which public concern over the future of Hong Kong is
growing.
PROGRAMME
3. There are separate programmes for the Lord Privy Seal (Brief No 2)
and Mrs Atkins (Brief No 3). The Lord Privy Seal's programme is in
two parts:
a) Discussions: There will be meetings with the Governor and
his senior officials, Unoffical Members of the Executive and
Legislative Councils (UMELCO), and the Urban Council.
(Personality notes in Brief No 4);
SECRET
/b)