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26857
1
HKK
040/1
104
PP GOV HONG KONG
GRS 172
SECRET
FM FCO 081035Z MAR 82
TO PRIORITY HONG KONG
TELEGRAM NUMBER 158 OF 8 MARCH,
INFO PEKING (PERSONAL FOR AMBASSADOR)
FOR GOVERNOR FROM CLIFT
११
PEKING TELNO 136: FUTURE OF HONG KONG
1. WE SEE FORCE OF ANALYSIS IN TUR. IT COULD BE DAMAGING IF WANG
WERE TO REPORT TO PEKING THAT HE HAD SUGGESTED TO YOU THAT HONG
KONG COULD CONTINUE TO PROSPER WITHOUT CONTINUED BRITISH ADMINIS-
TRATION AND THAT YOU HAD NOT DISAGREED. AT THE SAME TIME WE DO NOT WANT TO CONFRONT THE CHINESE WITH THE ISSUE TOO EARLY AND
BEFORE OUR OWN POSITION IS PREPARED. YOU WILL KNOW HOW TO
HANDLE THIS. IF WANG WERE TO RAISE THE POINT AND YOU NEEDED TO
COMMENT, YOU MIGHT SAY THAT HE SEEMED TO HAVE MISREAD THE
SITUATION SINCE ANY FUNDAMENTAL CHANGE IN HONG KONG'S ADMINIS-
TRATION COULD DESTROY CONFIDENCE.
2. HOWEVER WE THINK IT WOULD BE WRONG TO GO BEYOND THIS. IF
PRESSED YOU COULD SAY THAT THIS WAS A MATTER FOR FURTHER
DISCUSSION BUT WE SUGGEST YOU STILL AVOID APPEARING TO MAKE ANY
OUTRIGHT PROPOSAL FOR A SOLUTION INVOLVING BRITISH ADMINISTRATION
BEYOND 1997.
CARRINGTON
Püm n13
See (114
125
19&B
NNNN
LIMITED
HD/HKGD
HD/FED
COPIES TO:
SIR E YOUDE,
C/O HKGD.
PS
PS/LPS
MR WRIGHT
MR GIFFARD
MR DONALD
1
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