194 TOP COPY SECRET
GPS19 SECRET
FM HONG KONG 010430Z AUG 83
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 1117 OF 1 AUGUST 1983
15. MKK040/5
INFO PRIORITY PEKING AND CANBERRA (PERSONAL FOR HIGH COMMISSION)
YOUR TELNO 701: VISIT OF MR. HAYDEN
1. MR. HAYDEN CALLED ON ME ON 30 JULY. HE WAS ACCOMPANIED BY THE AUSTRALIAN COMMISSIONER IN HONG KONG, PARSONS AND COSTELLO.
2. I REFERRED TO DONALDS' CONVERSATION WITH ROBERTSON. (YOUR TELNO 236 TO CANBERRA). I SAID THAT THE CHINESE POSITION IN THE TWO ROUNDS OF TALKS TO DATE HAD REMAINED FIRM. WE WERE CONTINUING THE PROCESS OF EDUCATING THE CHINESE INTO THE COMPLEXITIES OF HONG KONG AND THE NEED FOR SOME FORM OF INSULATION BETWEEN THE SYSTEM IN HONG KONG AND THAT IN CHINA. THE ATMOSPHERE AT THE TALKS WAS FRIENDLY AND THE CHINESE WERE STILL LISTENING. IT WAS HOWEVER LIKELY TO BE A LONG SLOW PROCESS.
3. I ALSO REHEARSED THE REASONS FOR MAINTAINING CONFIDENTIALITY, PARTICULARLY BECAUSE OF THE LIKELY IMPACT OF ANY LEAK ON HONG KONG. I SUGGESTED THAT IF THE SUBJECT CAME UP DURING HAYDEN'S FORTHCOMING VISIT TO PEKING, HE SHOULD ECHO THE MESSAGE THAT HONG KONG WAS A COMPLEX PLACE ACUTELY DEPENDENT ON CONFIDENCE. HAYDEN DID NOT SAY WHETHER HE WOULD RAISE THE SUBJECT. I ALSO SUGGESTED THAT, IF HE WERE APPROACHED BY THE PRESS AFTER OUR MEETING, HAYDEN TAKES THE LINE THAT WE HAD DISCUSSED THE FUTURE BUT THAT THE CONTENT OF OUR DISCUSSION WAS CONFIDENTIAL. HE SHOULD IN PARTICULAR AVOID SAYING THAT HE HAD BEEN BRIEFED ON THE TALKS BECAUSE OF LOCAL SENSITIVITIES OVER THE ABSENCE OF ANY HARD INFORMATION.
4. HAYDEN DID NOT PRESS FOR ANY MORE INFORMATION. HE SAID THAT, AS A POLITICIAN, HE UNDERSTOOD THE NEED FOR CONFIDENTIALITY. YOUDE
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FUTURE OF HONG KONG
LIMITED
ED/HKD
ED/FED
SIR I SINCLAIR LEGAL ADVISER
COPIES TO:
MR BURROWS
HD/PLANNING STAFF
MR MARTIN
MR FLOWER
MR COLES
HD/PUSD PS
PS/LADY YOUNG
PS/MR LUCE
PS/PUS
SIR J BULLARD
MR GIFFARD
MR DONALD MR WRIGHT
LEGAL ADVISERS ASSESSMENTS STAFF CABINET OFFICE
PUSD
NO 10 DOWNING ST
SIR A PARSONS
11
IT
MR WALKER, RESEARCH DEPT
MR ROBERTS NEWS D
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