GR 200
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DESKBY FCO 13163OZ
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FM HONG KONG 131355Z MAY 83
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 631 OF 13 MAY
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING
(59)
TOP COPY
HKICO 40/2 Sec
See (64 sed
(65)
MY TELEPHONE CONVERSATION WITH CLIFT
KAITLAN KUMITRY NO.
13 MAY 1983
AT
FUTURE OF HONG KONG
IND
AUSTRY
Chion Takor
|CHITIS
1. A HONG KONG JOURNALIST HAS TOLD US THAT THE FOLLOWING STORY IS BEING SPREAD AMONG THE PRESS HERE AND A SUBSTANTIAL SUMMARY OF IT HAS ALREADY APPEARED IN THE MING BAO EVENING PRESS THIS EVENING. IT IS EXPECTED TO GET WIDE COVERAGE IN TOMORROWS PAPERS.
1) THE TALKS ARE TO BEGIN IN PEKING ON FRIDAY NEXT:
11) AGREEMENT TO BEGIN HAS BEEN REACHED ON THE BASIS OF QUOTE THE CHINESE FORMULA UNQUOTE:
111) THAT IS TO SAY, THE UK WILL RECOGNISE CHINESE SOVEREIGNTY OVER THE WHOLE OF HONG KONG, ALBEIT IN A SUBTLE WAY:
IV) THE AGENDA FOR THE TALKS WILL BE
(A) ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE TRANSFER OF POWER DURING THE NEXT 14 YEARS AND WHAT THE UK GOVERNMENT AND THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT SHOULD DO IN THIS PERIOD:
(B) WHAT CO-OPERATION THERE SHOULD BE BETWEEN THE UK GOVERNMENT AND THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT AFTER 1997:
V) THE GOVERNOR IS AWAITING INSTRUCTIONS FROM LONDON AS TO WHETHER HE SHOULD ATTEND THE TALKS, AS A MEMBER OF THE BRITISH DELEGATION.
2. ACCORDING TO OUR INFORMANT THE STORY ORIGINATED WITH THE LEFT WING MAGAZINE QUOTE WIDE ANGLE UNQUOTE WHO SPREAD IT TO A NUMBER OF LOCAL NEWSPAPERS. THE PRESS THIS EVENING QUOLES **SOURCES CLOSE TO PEKING' AND A QUOTE HIGH LEVEL FOREIGN OFFICE OFFICIAL UNQUOTE. YOUDE
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