GRS 450
SECRET
DESKBY FCO 0312COZ
DESKBY PEKING 04010OZ
FM HONG KONG 031100Z OCT 83
TO HIMMEDIATE F C O
SECRET
TELEGRAM NUMBER 1466 OF 3 OCTOBER
AND TO IMMEDIATE PEKING
M..P.T.
FUTURE OF HONG KONG
HKCK
TOP COPY
01311
RECEIVED IN REGISTMť
5 OCT 1983
OFFICER
PA
REGISTRY
Action Taken
No
AFB /
FOLLOWING HIS TEXT OF THE PASSAGE HN MY LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL SPEECH ON THE FUTURE.
BEGINS:-
(A) THE FUTURE.
3. THROUGHOUT THE PAST YEAR, THERE HAS BEEN NO MORE IMPORTANT HSSUE FOR YOUR GOVERNMENT THAT THE SEARCH FOR A SETTLEMENT OF THE FUTURE OF THIS TERRITORY WHICH WILL SECURE ITS LONG-TERM STABILITY AND PROSPERITY. THAT SEARCH HAS BEEN OUR FIRST AND OVER-RIDING CONCERN, AND IT WILL REMAIN OUR HIGHEST PRIORITY UNTIL A SETTLEMENT IS FOUND. THE AIM, WHICH HAS BEEN STATED BY HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT IN THE UNITED KINGDOM HN THE QUEEN'S SPEECH, REMAINS THAT OF REACHING A SOLUTION ACCEPTABLE TO THE UNITED KINGDOM PARLIAMENT, TO CHINA AND TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG.
4. OUR CONSULTATIONS WITH HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT ON
THIS ISSUE HAVE BEEN CONTINUOUS AND INTENSIVE, AND MINISTERS *IN LONDON, INCLUDING THE PRIME MINISTER HERSELF, HAVE EMPHASISED THE IMPORTANCE WHICH THEY ATTACH TO THIS PROCESS OF CONSULTATION. UNOFFICIALS OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL WERE ABLE TO MAKE THEIR VIEWS AND THE VIEWS OF THEIR UNOFFICIAL COLLEAGUES IN THIS COUNCIL KNOWN DIRECTLY TO BRITISH MINI-STERS WHEN THEY VISITED LONDON JULY. THE MINISTER OF STATE WITH PARTICULAR RESPONSIBILITY FOR HONG KONG AFFAIRS, MR. RICHARD LUCE, HAD DISCUSSIONS WITH A WIDE CROSS SECTION OF PEOPLE DURING HIS RECENT WISHT, AND DURING THAT VISIT HE REAFFIRMED ONCE AGAIN THE FIRM COMMITMENT OF THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT TO THE SEARCH FOR A SOLUTION. AS MEMBERS KNOW, SHALL BE LEAVING TONIGHT WITH THE UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL FOR FURTHER TALKS IN LONDON WITH THE PRIME MINISTER, WITH THE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH SECRETARY, AND WITH OTHER MINISTER, AS PART OF THIS CONTINUING SERIES OF DISCUSSIONS.
SECRET
15.