DWF TL 68/8
LDX 232
L
IM 590/8
PEKING TL 746
FED/FCO
TOKYO
HONG KONG (FCO PASS)
GRS 160
RESTRICTED
TELELETTER
FROM: M ATKINSON, PEKING
8 MARCH 1982
FOLLOWING FOR: FED, FCO
CHANCERY, TOKYO
PA HONG KONG
X N
703A
My William (1071
ник столе
CGE
No
1513
HKGD
fémi63
DARROCH'S TELELETTER OF 5 MARCH:
TOIA
CHINA/UK AGREEMENT ON HONG KONG
1. SIMILAR STORIES HAVE CIRCULATED AMONG THE PRESS HERE, SOME VERSIONS ALLEGING THAT THE AGREEMENT WOULD BE SIGNED ON 1 MAY. IN RESPONSE TO QUESTIONS WE HAVE OF COURSE DISMISSED THESE STORIES AS NONSENSE.
2. WE WERE NOT AWARE THAT ANY JOURNALISTS HAD TAKEN THE STORIES SERIOUSLY. BUT MY JAPANESE COLLEAGUE, WATANABE, TOLD ME THIS MORNING THAT HIS MEA HAS JUST ACCEPTED A RECOMMENDATION BY THE JAPANESE CONSUL GENERAL IN HONG KONG THAT JAPAN SHOULD TAKE A 11show CLOSER INTEREST IN ANY DEVELOPMENTS CONCERNING THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG. WATANABE AGREED THAT HE AND 1, AS WELL AS C G AND PA HONG KONG, WOULD KEEP IN TOUCH.
lampe as
SIGNED M W ATKINSON
NNNN