66
FLAG A
pw
SECRET
Pirl14155
We she and
M. 9. a foron 3
மிழ்
Mr Minis
Minuter
© There is a good deal in what Gomersall days or the endoghes tel. about bei " unnecessarily defensive && would merely inirate the Americans if he refused all Communication.
PS/Lord Belstead
cc: Mr Donald (with encs)
* I doubt whetten M. Gommersal can
Mr Thomson, FED (2) However I believe 3 (a) & (d) so fuite for enough.
The PM's Talks in Sepr.". However ter ustry this path.
SEMINAR ON HONG KONG AT THE CENTRE FOR STRATEGICAL INTERNATIONAL STUDIES, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY, 23 MARCH
1.
srup show of
The Minister has expressed interest in the background to Peking telegram number 215. The other two related papers which were not in the 'Future of Hong Kong' series are FLAGS B & C attached. Our telegram number 376 has now been repeated to
Peking and Hong Kong.
(69
-
2.
I still hold firmly to the view that it would be wrong for Mr Gomersall to be a speaker at this seminar for the reasons given in paragraph 2 of our telegram. He would be under very great pressure to get involved in discussions concerning such highly sensitive areas as: sovereignty; how our talks with the Chinese are going; what position HMG is taking; which options are open to us; the likely course of events and outcome, etc etc. Even discussion of the Prime Minister's Press Conferences last September (paragraph 3 of the Washington teleletter) could be misleading.
3.
Given these sensitivities, and the ever present risk of leaks, I believe Mr Gomersall's contribution should be far more low-key and restricted to:
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
4.
factual background on Hong Kong (including historical aspects (but without too much on treaties);
some of the background to the general Chinese position over the years (but stopping short of their talks with the Prime Minister in September);
economic aspects, and the factors affecting confidence in Hong Kong;
the reasons why the Chinese propaganda idea of Hong Kong as an SAR linked to Peking is viewed with scepticism and mistrust by the majority of Hong Kong's inhabitants.
Mr Gomersall had to Seminar by today, 8 March.
reply to the organisers of the
If you agree, we will in the next few days give him a few more specific points to make on (a)
9/3
to (d) above, but I do not believe we can allow him to go further than this.
sya, and its a
нико40/5
14 MAR 1983
8 March 1983
Ar 1413
- SECRET
'R D Clift
Hong Kong and General Department