GRS 160
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG 200515Z APR 82
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 378 OF 20 APRIL
INFO PRIORITY PEKING
FO
R CLIFT HKGD FROM POLITICAL ADVISER.
никого /2
RECEIVED IN REDARY NG. 91 2. 0 APR 1982
DESK GR
INDEX
No
CSE
22/4
Taks
то
PEKING TEL NO 2281 HONG KONG AND FALKLAND ISLANDS CRISIS.
1. IN THE PAST BRITISH MINISTERS HAVE BEEN CAREFUL TO AVOID MAKING
STATEMENTS ABOUT THE SOVEREIGNTY ISSUE, FOR FEAR OF EXPOSING DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE BRITISH LEGAL POSITION AND THAT OF THE CHINESE. REQUESTS FOR CLARIFICATION HAVE NORMALLY BEEN MET WITH THE FORMULA THAT HMG'S VIEWS ARE WELL KNOWN. I AM NOT SURE WHETHER NOW S THE BEST TIME TO AMPLIFY THESE VIEWS IN RESPONSE TO PRESS QUESTIONS, AND DOUBT WHETHER IT WOULD BE RIGHT, IN ADVANCE OF THE PRIME MINISTER'S VISIT, TO ''DWELL ON THE LIMITED NATURE OF OUR SOVEREIGNTY OVER HONG KONG.''.
2. I ALSO HAVE DOUBTS ABOUT THE ALTERNATIVE ANSWER TO THE QUESTION
ON THE PARAMOUNTCY OF THE WISHES OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG
SUGGESTED IN PARA 5 OF PEKING TUR. AN ASSURANCE SO QUALIFIED WOULD
RECEIVED HERE.
BE UNLIKELY TO BE WELL
3. WE SHOULD PREFER IT IF QUESTIONS SEEKING TO DRAW A PARALLEL
BETWEEN THE HONG KONG AND FALKLANDS SITUATIONS WERE DEALT WITH IN
THE WAY SUGGESTED IN HONG KONG TELNO 354.
See (13
19
HADDON-CAVE.
LIMITED
HKJGD
FED
SAMD
LEG ADV
NEWS D
PS
PS LORD BELSTEAD
PS / PUS
MR GIFFARD
MR DONALD
हे
CONFIDENTIAL
COPIES
то
SIR. E. YOUDE; HKOGD
THIS TELEGRAM
WAS NOT ADVANCED