RESTRICTED
START PREPARING THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG FOR SELF-GOVERNMENT. IF BRITAIN FAILED IN THIS AND WITHDREW TO LEAVE A POLITHICAL VACUUM, THEN PEKING WOULD STEP IN TO PREVENT PUBLIC DISORDER AND CHAOS. CHING CONCLUDED THAT THE BEST LEGACY THAT BRITAIN COULD LEAVE HONG KONG WAS SELF-ADMINISTRATION UNDER NOMINAL CHINESE SOVEREIGNTY.
6. WEN WEN PO'S (COMMUNIST) LONDON CORRESPONDENT FILED A SHORT ACCOUNT OF MR ROBERT ADLEY MP'S BBC INTERVIEW IN WHICH HE IS SAND TO HAVE CALLED FOR AN END TO BRITAIN'S RIGID AND INFLEXIBLE STANCE IN THE TALKS OVER HONG KONG'S FUTURE. BRITAIN SHOULD HAVE RECOGNISED CHINA'S CLAIM TO SOVEREIGNTY AT THE VERY START OF THE TALKS AND IF IT DID SO NOW, THERE WOULD BE A SATISFACTORY OUTCOME. ACCORDING TO THE CORRESPONDENT, ADLEY HAD SAID THAT BRITAIN SHOULD NOT DRAW ATTENTION TO CHINA'S FOREIGN EXCHANGE EARNINGS THROUGH HONG KONG SINCE THESE WERE QUITE UNRELATED TO CHINA'S INSISTENCE ON SOVEREIGNTY.
HADDON-CAVE
FUTURE OF HONG KONG
COPIES TO
THIMITED
SIR IAN SINCLAIR
MR BURROWS
ED/EKD
HD/FED
MR ROBERTS
HD/PLANNING STAFF
MR MARTIN
HD/PUSD
PS
PS/LADY YOUNG
MR FLOWER
PS/MR LUCE
MR COLES
PS/FUS
SIR J BULLARD
MR GIFFARD
MR DONALD
MR WRIGHT
SIR A PARSONS
LEGAL ADVISER
LEGAL ADVISER
NEWS D
ASSESSMENTS STAFF
CABINET OFFICE
PUSD
NO 10 DOWNING STREET
NO 10 DOWNING STREET
MR WALKER RESEARCH D OAB 2/82
MR GOODALL, CABINET OFFICE
SIR PHILIP MOORE, BUCKINGHAM PALACE
2
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