Attached
4-5
HKK 040/4
Mr Donard
HKK040/5
16 FEB 1983
SECRET Covering UK EYES ALPHA
181
par
(46,
put to bed
P = W/16/12
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cc 4. Thomson, FED
Thave briefed fi v. Garland
int
Hi n
I Mason has passed the
FUTURE OF HONG KONG : BRIEFING THE AUSTRALIANS
1.
тетра
You will recall some discussion and correspondence in December 1982 about briefing the Australians
and you will have seen copies of most if not all
of the attached correspondence since.
A-(45) 2. Mr Clift did not discuss Mr Wright's letter with me before he went on leave and has not of course seen the two more recent papers. But it seems to me that no matter what is now being done
we ought to consider pressing No 10 again on getting approval for Sir J Mason to talk to Mr Fraser and/or Mr Street on the lines of the briefing you and HMA Washington gave to Bush, Shultz and Holdridge.
B C
3.
за
ol X.
Art.72
As both Canberra telegram 535 and Mr Cullimore's letter make clear, the Australians have a very real interest, given their geographical location and their sizeable interests in Hong Kong. You may recall that the Secretary of their DFA expressed similar interest indeed sought an early exchange of views on the subject when Mr Smart called on him last November. The Australians also have a good and growing MKRoyo /4 relationship with China which they obviously would not wish
240
J
to jeopardise.
1922
4.
Subject to your views I should be happy to draft a submission and letter to No 10 seeking approval for Sir J Mason to take the Australian PM and FM more into our confidence.
5.
Zhao's visit to Australia is some way off yet and developments between now and then will have a bearing but we may well, when the time comes, want the Australians to put in a word. However, we can leave this aspect aside for the moment.
THIS IS A COPY
THE ORIGINAL HAS BEEN RETAINED
IN THE DEPARTMENT UNDER
SECTION 3 (4) OF THE PUBLIC RECORDS ACT 1958
13 January 1983
سم الله
W Morris
Hong Kong and General Department
SECRET covering UK EYES ALPHA