23
GR 270
SECRET
FM PEKING 13040OZ JAN 83
TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
TELNO 3 OF 13 JANUARY
INFO IMMEDIATE FCO.
SECRET
YOUR TELNO 39′ TO FCO: FUTURE OF HONG KONG
Hkk 040/1
1 3 JAN 1983
DECK OFFICER
INDEX
PA
1. THE HEUNG YI KUK DELEGATION GAVE A PRESS CONFERENCE LAST NIGHT. REUTERS, ACCORDING TO WHOM THE DELEGATION HAD SEEN LIAO CHENGZHI, HAVE TOLD US THAT THE ONLY REMARKABLE STATEMENT MADE BY LAU WONG-
FAT WAS THAT THE CHINESE HAD KICKED THE BALL INTO THE BRITISH COURT' AND WERE WAITING FOR THE BRITISH RESPONSE. REUTERS ASKED
US TO COMMENT.
1
Afion
See HKH 040/4
2. WE HAVE TOLD REUTERS THAT AS THEY WELL KNOW WE CANNOT REVEAL
ANY OF THE CONTENT OF THE TALKS, NOR DO WE WISH TO COMMENT ON
CHINESE PUBLIC STATEMENTS. BUT THEY WOULD RECALL WHAT LORD BELSTEAD
HAD SAID IN HONG KONG THAT IT WAS THE TALKS WHICH WERE IMPORTANT,
NOT WHAT WAS SAID OUTSIDE THEM. REUTERS WOULD NOT WISH TO TAKE EVERY CHINESE STATEMENT, ESPECIALLY THOSE REPORTED INDIRECTLY, FACE VALUE. THEY WOULD KNOW THAT MANY SUCH STATEMENTS HAD SOUGHT TO GIVE THE IMPRESSION THAT IT WAS THE CHINESE WHO WERE MAKING THE RUNNING, WHILE WE DRAGGED OUR FEET.
AT
3. WE BELIEVE THAT REUTERS WILL REPORT THE STORY IN MEASURED TERMS. BUT WHAT THE HONG KONG PAPERS WILL PRINT, AND WHAT HONG KONG JOURNALISTS AT THE PRESS CONFERENCE WILL REPORT IS ANOTHER MATTER.
4. THE DELEGATION WILL GO TO QINGDAO TODAY, BUT WILL RETURN TO PEKING ON 16 JANUARY. ACCORDING TO REUTERS, ONE OR TWO OF THEM DELIEVE THEY MAY SEE DENG. THEY MAY ALSO HAVE A SECOND MEETING WITH
LIAO.
5. YOU WILL ALSO WISH TO KNOW THAT THE DELEGATES HAVE SEEN SHEN TU, DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF CAAC, PRESUMABLY TO DISCUSS THE ''HOBBY HORSE' MENTIONED IN PARA 5 OF TUR.
CRADOCK
COPIES TO
SIR I SINCLAIR
'MR ROBERTS
LEGAL ADVISER
NEWS D
MR COLES
MR MARTIN
NO 10 DOWNING STREET
ASSESSMENTS STAFF
CABINET OFFICE
FUTURE OF HONG KONG
LIMITED
HD/HHE XD
HD/FED
HD/PLANNING STAFF HD/PUSD
PS
PS/LORD BELSTEAD PS/PUS
MR GIFFARD
MR DONALD
SIRJ B ULLARD PS/MR HURD
SECRET