295)
GR 180
CONFIDENTIAL
FM PEKING 08022OZ NOV 83
TO PRIORITY FCO
CONFIDENTIAL
TELEGRAM NUMBER 1155 OF 8 NOVEMBER
INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG
TOP COPY
206 YOUR TELNO 761: FUTURE OF HONG KONG: PRESS COVERAGE
1. WE TOO HAD NOTED REPORTS THAT VILLORUSMINISTER,
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY NOV 1983
DESK OFFICER
HY
PA
Acti
Taken
INDEX
QIAN QICHEN, HAD SAID THAT NEGOTIATIONS ''COULD' CONTINUE BEYOND THE SEPTEMBER 1964 DEADLINE. QIAN'S RESPONSIBILITIES AT THE MFA ARE PRINCIPALLY FOR SOVIET AND EAST EUROPEAN AFFAIRS. HE IS ALSO THE MINISTER RESPONSIBLE FOR THE INFORMATION DEPARTMENT. TO THE BEST OF OUR KNOWLEDGE HE HAS NO DIRECT INVOLVEMENT IN THE HONG KONG ISSUE. WE ARE THEREFORE INCLINED NOT TO ATTACH TOO MUCH SIGNIFICANCE TO HIS REMARKS
ON THE MATTER.
2. 1 RAISED QIAN'S REMARKS WITH LUO JIAHUAN AT THE WELCOMING BANQUET FOR MR WALKER. LUO WAS MYSTIFIED AND THOUGHT THAT REPORTS OF THE DEADLINE BEING DROPPED WERE GROUNDLESS. 3. DENG'S REMARKS TO THORN ARE CERTAINLY AUTHORITATIVE, AND APPEAR TO ENVISAGE A RIGID DEADLINE OF SEPTEMBER 1984. IF DENG DOES ENVISAGE TALKS GOING ON BEYOND THAT DATE (HK TELNO 1684) IT PROBABLY MEANS NO MORE THAN THAT DENG IS THINKING OF AN ANNOUNCEMENT IN BROAD PRINCIPLES OF A SETTLEMENT WITH SOME OF THE DETAIL TO BE WORKED OUT LATER. THIS MAY ALSO BE WHAT QIAN QICHEN WAS THINKING OF.
4. IN SUM, WE AS YET SEE NO EVIDENCE THAT THE CHINESE POSITION ON THE DEADLINE IS SOFTENING.
з смеш
CRADOCK
FUTURE OF HONG KONG
PILLOMASED
9/FD
ED/PLANNING STAFF
ED/PUSD
COPIES TO: (VIA DISTR. FOOM)
SIR PEILIP CORE 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
D/HD/PUSD (LR FLOWER)
RESEARCH DPT(MR WALKER)
LEGAL ADVISER (SIR IAN SINCLAIR)
PS
FS/LADY YOUNG
PSAR LUCE
PS/PUS
THIS TELEGRAM
SIR J SULLARD
MR GARD
MR DONALD
MR WRIGHT
WAS NOT ADVANCED
CONFIDENTIAL
INDUSTRY
COPIES TO:
(VIA ADR)
NEWS DEPT
MR ROBERTS
MA BURROWS LEGAL ADVISERS MR COLES NO 10 DOWNING ST
SIR A PARSONS
MR MARTIN
MR GOODALL
HYE BRENNAN
ASSESSMENT STAFF
CABINET OFFICE. CABINET OFFICE
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PS/S OF S FOR DEFENCE PS/ATTORNEY GENERAL