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RECEIVED IN REGISTRY NO. 51
FM HONG KONG 14095OZ SEP 83
SEP 1983
TO IMMEDIATE FOO
DESK OFFICER
REGISTRY
TELEGRAM NUMBER 1351 OF 14 SEPTEMBER
INDEX
PA
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING (PERSONAL FOR CHARGE)
YOUR TELNO 902: FUTURE OF HONG KONG: MR HEATH'S MEETING WITH UMELCO.
1. NO OFFICIAL WAS PRESENT AT MR HEATH'S MEETING WITH UMELCO WHICH LASTED WELL OVER AN HOUR. MR HEATH'S PARTY LEFT NO RECORD AND THE UMELCO RECORD IS NOT YET AVAILABLE.
2. FROM SUCH ACCOUNT AS WE HAVE SO FAR IT SEEMS THAT MR HEATH MADE THE FOLLOWING POINTS, IN ADDITION TO THOSE WHICH HE MADE TO THE PRESS IN PEKING ABOUT HIS INTERVIEW WITH DENG:
(A) IT WAS NOT THE CHINESE INTENTION TO TAKE ANY ACTION BEFORE 1997:
(B) THE CHINESE WERE FIRM THAT SOVEREIGNTY WAS NOT NEGOTIABLE : AND THERE WAS NO HOPE OF PERSUADING THE CHINESE TO SEPARATE SOVEREIGNTY AND ADMINISTRATION:
(C) THE CHINESE WOULD IF NECESSARY GIVE POLITICS PRIORITY OVER ECONOMICS AND WOULD REGAIN SOVEREIGNTY EVEN IF THIS MEANT SOME LOSS OF PEOPLE FROM HONG KONG AND A DIMINUTION OF ITS USEFULNESS TO THEM. THEY HAD SALD THAT EXPERTISE COULD IN ANY CASE BE BOUGHT: (D) THE ISSUE SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN RAISED SO EARLY: THE CHINESE WOULD HAVE BEEN CONTENT TO LET THINGS GO ON FOR A WHILE YET:
(E) THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG WOULD HAVE TO ACCEPT THAT THE CHINESE MEANT WHAT THEY SAND OVER THE RECOVERY OF SOVEREIGNTY:
(F) HE UNDERSTOOD THE ANXIETHES OF PEOPLE ABOUT THE PAST BUT THINGS IN CHINA WERE CHANGING:
(G) THE CHINESE POSITION IN RESISTING GIVING THE HONG KONG PEOPLE A DIRECT VOICE IN THE MIGOTIATIONS WAS EXPLICABLE BECAUSE THE TREATIES WERE BILATERAL BETWEEN CHINA AND THE U.K.
3. THE ABOVE IS BASED ON ONLY ACCOUNTS OF SOME UNOFFICIALS WHO WERE PRESENT AND PART-CULARLY SHR S.Y. CHUNG. THE MEETING WAS A DIFFICULT ONE (SEE MY TELNO 1344) AND A NUMBER OF UMELCO MEMBERS ADOPTED A CRITICAL AND INTERROGATIVE ATTITUDE ON A NUMBER OF POMNTS.
YOUDE
FUTURE OF HONG KONG
COPIES TO
LIMITED
STR IAN SINCLAIR
MR BURROWS
HD/HKD
HD/TED
MR ROBERTS
HD/PLANNING STAFF
MR MARTIN
HD/PUSD
PS
PS/LADY YOUNG
PS/MR LUCE
PS/PUS
SIR J BULLARD
MR GITFARD
MR DONALD MR WRIGHT
MX FLOWER
MR COLES
SIR A PARSONS
MR WALKER
SEORET
LEGAL ADVISER LEGAL ADVISER
NEWS D
ASSESSMENTS STAFF
CABINET OFFICE
PUSD
NO 10 DOWNING STREET
NO 10 DOWNING STREET
RESEARCH D GOGGS
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