D219 Enter Qaila
Milliff (HUD)
The
Private Secretary
Secretary
SECRET
Secrety of State was grateful for this.
Htches
2119.
5.75
Sevety & States
FROM: R D Clift, HKD DATE: 20 September 1983
cc: PS/Mr Luce PS/PUS
Mr Giffard Mr Donald
Mr Elliott, FED
FUTURE OF HONG KONG: ARTICLE IN FAR EASTERN ECONOMIC REVIEW
564 1.
Your manuscript minute of 19 September on my minute of 16 September drew attention to four questions by the Secretary of State on the Far Eastern Economic Review article of 22 September. The following are my comments. (For Cuticle dee (564)
Home Leave of Hong Kong Political Adviser
2.
See (675)
The Review criticises the fact that the Political Adviser missed the last session of talks on 2/3 August and states that this was because he had paid a deposit on a holiday house in France which ''the FCO bureaucracy'' would not agree to reimburse if he cancelled his booking.
3.
Mr McLaren had already been due to come on leave in the middle of July. He put it off to attend the meeting in Peking on 25/26 July. In order to give him a reasonable period of home leave, the Governor agreed that he should leave Hong Kong after that. There was of course absolutely no question of the FCO being involved on the administrative side. Mr McLaren is seconded to the Hong Kong Government and they pay his salary and allowances and deal with his leave.
it
The Order of the Prime Minister's visits to Peking and Hong Kong in September 1982
1
4. The Review suggests that it would have been better had she gone to Hong Kong first and Peking afterwards, enabling the Hong Kong press to be told of her intentions and the Hong Kong establishment to ''educate her before she met the Chinese leaders. The Review says that Mr Heath would have done well to follow a similar pattern on his recent visit but he missed the opportunity to put Hong Kong's case to the Chinese Government.
5. If the Prime Minister had gone in that order she could have said no more to the press about her intentions than she did. She was of course fully briefed on Hong Kong's views before she went, having received a delegation of Hong Kong Unofficials earlier in September. Mr Heath was also fully briefed and the question of Hong Kong's interests and sensitivities had been made to him strongly by Sir P Cradock and Mr Donald. He did in fact speak quite helpfully when in Peking although he did not press the case for British administration. So far as one can judge however,
MKKC040/1
RECEIVED IN REGISTHY
22 SEP 1983
DESY OFFICER
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