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CONFIDENTIAL
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249,
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
See(251
London SW1A 2AH
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560
The Enter
4/1814
See HKKC040/16 (70)
18 April 1983
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18
Drew John,
Hong Kong
INDIAN
HKK040
2 0 APR 1983
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My ICM2214 तरक
In your letter of 7 January, you said that the Prime Minister agreed to Mr Pym briefing Mr Healey,
Mr Steel and Dr Owen on the future of Hong Kong, but that it would be best if the briefing contained as little as possible on our attitude towards future sovereignty over Hong Kong.
This briefing has not yet been carried out. First the visit to London by the Governor and Ambassador meant that we were taking another look at policy. Thereafter it was agreed that Mr Pym should speak to a small group of Conservative backbenchers. This was done on 30 March. group were generally content and raised no points of difficulty.
The
Mr Pym would like to brief the three Opposition members on Privy Councillor terms fairly soon (the exact timing is not yet decided). His aims would be on the one hand to discourage them, and their backbenchers, from raising points in the House or outside which could damage confidence in Hong Kong; and on the other to try to build up a responsible attitude among the Opposition against the time when the question of Hong Kong comes before the House.
Mr Pym believes that if the Opposition are to be effectively briefed we need to set out all the issues, including that of sovereignty, albeit in broad terms. We can hardly expect them not to raise it. Since, in our discussions with the Chinese, we are putting emphasis on the position of Parliament, it is important that leading members of the Opposition should know this (and the fact that the Chinese are leaking the contents of the Prime Minister's message reinforces this). Equally, they should
/understand
CONFIDENTIAL