94
GRS 400
CONFIDENTIAL
FM PEKING 29000OZ NOV 32
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
CONFIDENT
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TELECRAM MUMBER 001 OF 20/11/82
REPEATED FOR INFO TO INMEDIATE HONG KONG
HONG KONG TELNO 1395:
(88)
LORD BELSTEAD'S VISIT
TOP COPY
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1. I AGREE THAT IT IS USEFUL TO CONSIDER THEESE QUESTIONS
EARLY AND LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING THE GOVERNOR'S IDEAS ON
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HOW THEY MIGHT BE HANDLED. MY OWN FIRST THOUGHTS ARE AS FOLLOWS:
(1)
LORD BELSTEAD WOULD WISH TO MAKE A CLEAR
DISTINCTION BETWEEN THE CHINESE PLAN' AS IT HAS EMERGED IN THE HONG KONG PRESS (IN THE FORM OF
THE STATEMENT BY LIAO CHENGZHI TO THE FACTORY OWNERS' DELEGATION AND OTHER CHINESE LEAKS) AND THE DIPLOMATIC TALKS. HE COULD SAY THAT THE PRIME MINISTER WAS GIVEN AN OUTLINE OF CHINAS POSITION BY THE CHINESE LEADERS WHEN SHE WAS IN PEKING AND SUBSEQUENT MEETINGS HAVE FOLLOWED THIS UP,
THE TALKS IN PEKING ARE CONFIDENTIAL: LORD BELSTEAD WOULD HOT WISH TO COMMENT ON NEWSPAPER STORIES.
(11) HMG WISH TO AGREE WITH THE CHINESE ARRANGEMENTS
FOR THE FUTURE WHICH WILL MAINTAIN THE STADILITY AND PROSPERITY OF HONG KONG AND WHICH WILL BE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE WISHES OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG.
111) DOUBT IF WE SHOULD GET INTO THE POSITION OF
CONFIRMING OR DENYING EVERY HOLD-UP IN THE TALKS. LORD BELSTEAD COULD, HOWEVER, HINT AT THE NATURE OF THE PROBLEM BY SAYING THAT, AS THE GOVERNOP ANNOUNCED IN HIS LEGCO SPEECH, MEETINGS IN PEKING HAVE BECUN. THESE WILL CONTINUE FOLLOWING THE RECENT PESHUFFLE IN THE CHINESE MFA.
CONFIDENTIAL
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See (98)