RESTRICTED
MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE IN THE NEGOTIATIONS WAS SOVEREIGNTY, AND THAT MR EVANS MUST GRASP THE FACT THAT ANY CONCESSIONS ON THE ISSUE MUST COME FROM THE BRITISH SIDE, BECAUSE CHINA WOULD CERTAINLY NOT OFFER ANY COMPROMISE.
4. THE REMARKS BY THE DIRECTOR OF THE CHINESE MFA'S INFORMATION DEPARTMENT, MR Q! HUAYUAN, RE-STATING THE CHINSES POSITION ABOUT A SEPTEMBER 1984 DEADLINE, WERE THE FRONT-PAGE LEAD IN BOTH MAJOR COMMUNIST NEWSPAPERS (WEN WEB PO AND TA KUNG PAO). THE TA KUNG PAO ALSO CARRIED A REUTERS REPORT QUOTING AN FCO SPOKESMAN AS HAVING SAID THAT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT WAS NOT GOING TO BE RUSHED INTO ANY QUICK SETTLEMENT. THIS STORY WAS GIVEN FRONT-PAGE TREATMENT IN THE THREE ENGLISH-LANGUAGE DAILIES AND ROUTINE COVERAGE IN THE CHINESE-LANGUAGE PRESS. MOST INDEPENDENT PAPERS QUOTED ANALYSTS AS SAYING THAT THE PURPOSE OF Q'S REMARKS WAS TO RE-STATE THE CHINESE POSITION IN THE FACE OF SPECULATION ABOUT THE DISAPPEARANCE OF THE DEADLINE FOLLOWING THE JHJ: AGENCY REPORT OF REMARKS BY VICE FOREIGN MINISTER, QHAN QICHEN.
YOUDE
FUTURE OF HONG KONG
LIVTHOD
ED/PLARNING STAFF
ED/FED
ED/PUSD
D/ED/PUSD( FLOWER)
RESEARCH DEPT(MR WALKER)
LEGAL ADVISER (SIR IAN SINCLAIR)
PS
PS/LADY YOUNG
PSAR LUCE
PS/PUS
SIR J BULLARD
MR GIFFARD
MR DONALD
MR FRIGHT
2
COPIES TO: (VIA DISTR. FOOM)
SIR FEILIP MOORE BUCKINGHAM PALAC PS/LORD PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL PS/HOME SECRETARY
PS/CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER
PS/LORD PRIVY SEAL
PS/SECRETARY FOR TRADE AND
{HONG KONG GOVT.
INDUSTRY
OFFICE, LONDON
(VIA ADR)
COPIES TO:
MR ROBERTS NEWS DEPT
MIR BURROWS LEGAL ADVISERS MR COLES NO 10 DOWNING ST SIR A PARSONS MR MARTIN
IF
#1
ASSESSMENT STAFF CABINET OFFICE MR GOODALL CABINET OFFICE MR BRENNAN
PS/S OF S FOR DEFENCE
RESTRICTED PS/ATTORNEY GENERAL
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