SECRET
LORD PRIVY SEAL'S VISIT TO HONG KONG:
JANUARY 1982
DSR 11C
BRIEF NO 1: STEERING BRIEF
OBJECTIVES
1.
a)
b)
c)
d)
To reassure the local community that HMG intend to fulfil their responsibilities to the Territory;
To get a first-hand impression of Hong Kong;
To discuss the Hong Kong angle to subjects to be raised during the Lord Privy Seal's visit tọ China; To support British commercial interests in the light
of Mr Rees' visit in December 1981.
BACKGROUND TO THE 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 continuing commitment to Hong Kong.
However, a number of other developments in the last two
years (eg the Nationality Act) have given rise to fears that
the UK is deliberately 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 falls into two parts:
חרזזיזו
/a) Discussions