PS/PUS
CONFIDENTIAL
Exter
MICK 34011
RECEIVED 400 ST TO Adams.
AN 946
* 2 MAR 1981
DESK OLACER
INDEX
NO. 51
(126,
PA
REVISTRY Action Taken
1013
CALL OF THE GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG
ло
f30.3.
Pao 3013 HUG?),
1.
The PUS has a copy of Mr Morrice's brief of 6 March for the Secretary of State.
124
2. The PUS may like to know that as a result of this morning's meeting between the Chief Clerk (with Mr Donald, Mr Clift, Mr Jones and myself present) and Sir M MacLehose (accompanied by Mr Chan and Mr Ford), the Hong Kong side (with some informal advice from FCO officials) are producing a short piece of paper concentrating mainly on the demands which we discussed on an entirely personal basis with Home Office officials (without reference to their Ministers) last week, and which we hope it may be possible for the Home Office to entertain (eg paragraph 3 of the points to make in the brief for the Secretary of State), with a view to getting the Home Secretary to instruct his officials to draft amendments on those lines. We have warned the Governor that Home Office Ministers will be very much on the defensive, that they will not be able to change the basic concept of a separate Dependencies status for one which makes Hong Kong citizens into British citizens and that even some of the detailed demands in the lengthy Hong Kong Memorandum will probably be impossible to meet. However, the ideas in paragraph 3 of the Secretary of State's points to make would undoubtedly help the Governor to a significant extent if only the Home Secretary will buy them.
9 March 1981
CC:
Chief Clerk
Mr Donald
Mr Jones
Mr Clift
Jones
Tower offer.
W J Adams Adams
913 MICHAEL PALLISER
CONFIDENTIAL
1