GRS 250
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
FROM PEKING 09090OZ FEB 83
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 136 OF 9/2/83
REPEATED FOR INFO TO PRIORITY HONG KONG
TOP COPY
Никою //
1
FER 1983
{
и) Ariun AF 14 k
FUTURE OF HONG KONG.
POSSIBLE VISIT BY REPRESENTATIVE OF HONG KONG AND SHAGHAI BANK.
1
1. MICHAEL LANGLEY, THE PEKING REPRESENTATIVE OF THE HONG KONG
AND SHANGHAI BANK CALLED TODAY TO SEEK ADVICE ON A POSSIBLE VISIT BY HIS DEPUTY CHAIRMAN, HAMMOND, TO PEKING AT THE END OF APRIL, WITH THE OBJECT OF CALLING UPON LIAO CHENGHZAHI. THOUGH HE HAD LIT-
LE INFORMATION ON WHAT WAS INTENDED, HE ASSUMED THE SUBJECT WAS THE
FUTURE OF HONG KONG. PRELIMINARY CONTACTS SUGGESTED SUCH A VISIT
COULD BE ARRANGED. BUT HE HIMSELF WAS DOUBTFUL WHETHER IT WAS A GOOD
IDEA.
2. I SAID A DECISION MUST BE FOR THE BANK TO MAKE. MY IMMEDIATE
PERSONAL REACTION WAS THAT IT MIGHT BE A GOOD THING IN THAT
IT WOULD ALLOW LIAO TO MEET SOMEONE WHO WAS BOTH EXPERT AND MORE
ROBUST THAN MOST OF THE VISITORS FROM HONG KONG. BUT I SHOULD
LIKE TO REFLECT BEFORE GIVING HIM FIRM ADVICE.
3. I ASKED WHETHER THE CHINESE WOULD NOT PREFER TO SEE SANDBERG
RATHER THAN HAMMOND. LANGLEY SAID THIS WAS HIS OWN VIEW BUT
SANDBERG WAS RELUCTANT ON THE GROUNDS THAT HE WAS A MEMBER
OF EXCO. I SAID THIS HAD NOT BEEN A BARRIER IN THE CASE OF VISITS
BY EG NEWBIGGING.
4. GRATEFUL FOR COMMENTS. I HAVE PROMISED AN ANSWER B Y 17 FEBRUARY.
CRADOCK
(THIS TELEGRAM WAS NOT ADVANCED]
FUTURE OF HONG KONG
LIMITED
HD! HKGD
ED/FED
ED/PLANNING STAFF
ED/PUSD
PS
MR COLES
MR MARTIN
PS/LORD BELSTEAD
PS/MR HURD
PS/FUS
MR GIFFARD
MR DONALD
SIR J BULLARD
COPIES TO
SIR I SINCLAIR
MR ROBERTS
LEGAL ADVISER
NEWS D
NO 10 DOWNING STREEM
ASSESSMENTS STAFF
CABINET OFFICE
CONFIDENTIAL
See
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