Mr Donald
Private Secretary
нии огър
CONFIDENTIAL
flum -413
Sexeter of State
1231
Mr.M. Qay/22/3
Mr. Wrilistin Ja.s
て
30
I am diuftig teleletter to
tha Peking.
of
29/3
THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG AND THE VISIT OF
THE RT HON EDWARD HEATH MBE MP TO THE FAR EAST
Problem
1.
How to brief Mr Heath on the future of Hong Kong prior to
his forthcoming visit to the Far East.
Recommendation
See (32)
2. I recommend that Lord Carrington should write to Mr Heath
on the lines of the attached draft. The letter should reach his
office by 26 March. FED concur.
Background and Argument
3. Mr Heath leaves on 29 March for visits to Japan, China and
Hong Kong. While in China he will have talks with senior Chinese
leaders and officials, probably including Deng Xiaoping, in the
course of which the subject of the future of Hong Kong may well be
raised. Subsequently, both in China and in Hong Kong, Mr Heath
can expect to be asked by the media and others about these talks
and about his own views on the future.
Moreover, during his visit
to Hong Kong (12 to 14 April) he will be speaking and answering
questions at a Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce lunch and also
dining with inter alia Sir Y K Pao. (He will also be seeing the
Governor and the Chief Secretary of Hong Kong but not until after
the Chamber of Commerce lunch).
4. Mr Heath's office have told us that he would welcome guidance
on what he should or should not say, both in China and in Hong Kong,
about the future. Given the sensitive and complex nature of this
problem and the fact that we have only very recently put to the
CONFIDENTIAL
/Prime