(240
TOPCOPY
SECRET
OO CANBERRA
OO PEKING
GRS 293
SECRET
FM FCO 111800Z AUGUST 83
TO IMMEDIATE CANBERRA
TELEGRAM NUMBER 260 OF 11 AUGUST.
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG, PEKING
11098 1
MKK040/s
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
5 AUG 1983
DESK OFFICER
INTEX
242,
REGISTRY
Liction Taken
-YOUR TELNO 398: FUTURE OF HONG KONG: MR HAYDEN'S VISIT TO CHINA
1. WE AGREE THAT YOU SHOULD NOT CHIDE PARSONS DIRECTLY.
HOWEVER, IF HE GIVES YOU AN OPENING, WE THINK IT WOULD BE USEFUL
IF YOU SAID THAT WHILE WE UNDERSTAND WHY MR HAYDEN WANTED TO TAKE
A POSITIVE LINE WITH THE PRESS, IT IS EASY FOR THIS TYPE OF
APPROACH TO BE MISUNDERSTOOD IN HONG KONG. THE DIFFICULTY IS
THAT, IF A PROMINENT WESTERN FIGURE TALKS ABOUT HONG KONG WITH A
SENIOR CHINESE LEADER, IT WILL BE KNOWN THAT HE WILL HAVE
RECEIVED AN EXPOSITION OF 'THE CHINESE PLAN'. IF WITHOUT
QUALIFICATION HE THEN TELLS THE PRESS THAT WHAT HE HAS HEARD IS
USEFUL OR ENCOURAGING, PEOPLE IN HONG KONG WILL INTERPRET THIS
AS STRAIGHT ENDORSEMENT OF CHINESE IDEAS (A VARIETY OF WHICH
HAVE BEEN PEDDIED IN HONG KONG), AND BELIEVE THAT THEIR WORRIES
ABOUT THEIR OWN FUTURE HAVE BEEN DISREGARDED. CONFIDENCE SUFFERS
GREATLY.
2.
WE UNDERSTAND THE EXASPERATION IN PARA 4 OF PEKING TELNO 778
BUT WE DO NOT THINK IT WOULD BE PRACTICABLE OR SENSIBLE TO GIVE
UP BRIEFING THE AUSTRALIANS.
WHAT WE MUST DO IS TO CONCENTRATE
ON GETTING THE RIGHT MESSAGE OVER AND TRYING TO ENSURE THAT THIS
IS PUT SQUARELY TO HAYDEN IN CAREFUL BRIEFING, ALTHOUGH WE
REALISE ALL THE DIFFICULTIES IN CONTROLLING HIM. YOU CAN HELP
GREATLY HERE IN JUDGING THE PSYCHOLOGY.
3. PARSONS MAY ASK ABOUT THE LATEST ROUNDS OF TALKS IN PEKING.
IF SO, PLEASE SAY THAT YOU EXPECT TO BE ABLE TO BRIEF HIM BEFORE
LONG, BUT HAVE NOT YET GOT UP-TO-DATE MATERIAL. WE SHALL LET YOU
HAVE BRIEFING ON THIS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, IN A FORM WHICH COULD
ALSO BE USED WITH THE AUSTRALIAN REPRESENTATIVES IN HONG KONG AND
PEKING.
RAISON
FUTURE OF HONG KONG
LIMITED
ED/EKO
HD/FED
HD/PLANNING STAFF
HD/PUSD
PS
PS/LADY YOUNG
PS/MR LUCE
PS/PUS
SIR J BULLARD
MR GIFFARD
MR DONALD
MR WRIGHT
SECRET
ра
SIR I SINCLAIR LEGAL ADVISER
COPIES TO:
MR BURROWS
MR MARTIN
MR FLOWER
MR COLES
LEGAL ADVISERS
ASSESSMENTS STAFF CABINET OFFICE
PUSD
NO 10 DOWNING ST
SIR A PARSONS
MR WALKER,
11
IT
RESEARCH DEPT
MR ROBERTS NEWS D
(GOGGS)
!CHM/8
See (243)
See (24
See (252)