SECRET
It was
in mind the likely visit by EXCO, the new Ambassador's arrival in
Peking, Christmas, New Year and Chinese New Year.
unreasonable to expect a round before late January. Even that might be difficult. Mid-February would probably be acceptable but would mean a gap of more than 2 months. The communique issued at the
December round should preferably say something about the timing of
the next round. ACTION: Mr Clift to consider further and to include
a line on this in the draft telegram of instructions to HMA Peking, leaving the timing open.
BRIEFING LEGCO:
7. The Governor felt that LEGCO were out of step with our current objectives and wanted to bring them up-to-date. He believed they still clung to a view that neither HMG, nor the bulk of Hong Kong believed practicable.
PUBLIC MENTION OF A RESETTLEMENT IDEA:
8.
Both Sir P Goodhart MP, in correspondence with Mr Luce and an
EXCO member, Mr Cheung, and Mr Alton in Parliament on 21 November,
had spoken about the need to establish a resettlement fund for those
Hong Kong people who would wish to leave Hong Kong. This sort of
talk was unhelpful but there was probably little that could be done
about it. Sir P Goodhart had agreed to keep in touch with Mr Luce.
The response he had received from Mr Cheung was unenthusiastic.