BACKGROUND
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1.
Lord Belstead is familiar with the background on the
future of Hong Kong,
2.
On 23 March Sir Edward Youde had a private talk in
Hong Kong with the Singapore Prime Minister, Lee Kuan Yew.
Hong Kong telegram number 415 refers. (copy attached)
3.
Lee Kuan Yew's views are very sensible. He summed up
very well Hong Kong's requirements, ie the continuation of
the 'insulator' of British administration, and China's need
for a forthcoming British position on sovereignty.
4.
Given the privacy of the conversation the record has
not been widely distributed here. We cannot be sure that
Mr Dhanabalan is aware of it.
Hong Kong and General Department
8 April 1983
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