PERSONAL & CONFIDENTIAL
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MKK040/1
ED IN REGIS
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4
5 August, 1983
1C03/0
4
I saw Clare Hollingworth at lunch-time today: she was in great form and had one specific piece of information to give to me - it concerned the new Military Attache at the Chinese Embassy.
Apparently earlier this week the Embassy gave a reception for their new Military Attache. According to Clare Hollingworth "all the top brass" were present including not only the Senior Officials at the Embassy but also from British Military. She said that the new Military Attache made a point of speaking to her and stating that a mutual friend in Peking (a "General Wu") wished to be remembered to her and had advised an early discussion between Clare and the new Military Attache. This meeting took place yesterday
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when apparently Clare was told at some length, and with considerable repetition, that the Chinese were concerned that the talks on Hong Kong were not proceeding as well as they should: that it seemed to the Chinese that the British could not or would not understand how firm and determined the Chinese were on the question of "sovereignty" - that in particular the Chinese felt very strongly that sovereignty, the administration of Hong Kong and the administration of the law, were indivisible. The Attache said that it was a pity that "Mr. Youde" and the Prime Minister refused to under- stand or acknowledge this.
Clare then went on to say that the Attache had said that, if the British continued to be so stubborn and unrealistic in this, then maybe the Chinese would have to "roll over the border". Miss Hollingworth said that this latter comment was
L.M. Davies, Esq., CMG, OBE, JP,
Secretary (General Duties),
Covernment Secretariat,
Lower Albert Road,
Hong Kong.
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