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DESKBY FCO 07090OZ
DESKBY PEKING 070800Z
SECREт
FM HONG KONG 07032OZ NOV 83
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 1684 OF 7 NOVEMBER
TOP COPY
MKK0406
RECEIVED IN NEGISTRY
~
7 NOV 1983
DESK OFFIC INDEX
REGIST Action Nikon
оны
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING (PERSONAL FOR AMBASSADOR)
SPEKING TELNO 1149: FUTURE OF HONG KONG.
1. MONSIEUR THORN GAVE ME A FULL ACCOUNT OF HIS MEETING WITH DENG AND WU ON SUNDAY AFTERNOON. A COPY OF THE NOTES MADE BY #US STAFF HIS BEING SENT BY BAG TO LONDON AND PEKING TODAY.
THE MAIN POINTS ARE IN MIFT. 523
2. MONSIEUR THORN ASSURED ME THAT HE FULLY UNDERSTOOD THE SENSITIVITY OF THE SUBJECT, AND HAD HAD NO WISH TO BECOME INVOLVED. IT WAS THE CHINESE WHO INSISTED ON RAHISING HONG KONG WITH HIM. THERE SEEMS NO DOUBT THAT HE WAS BEING USED TO CONVEY A MESSAGE TO US.
3. IN GIVING ME HIS IMPRESSIONS THORN SAD THAT DENG HAD OFTEN SPOKEN WITH SOME FORCE (HE DESCRIBED DENG'S ATTITUDE IN FRENCH AS AGGRESSIVE''), DENG ALSO SPOKE STRONGLY WHEN ATTRIBUTING THE EXCHANGE RATE DIFFICULTIES OF THE HONG KONG DOLLAR TO AN ATTEMPT BY THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT TO BRING PRESSURE ON THE CHINESE, HE SAND CHINA WOULD NOT BE INTIMIDATED.
4. ON THE QUESTION OF THE DEADLINE OF SEPTEMBER 1984, THORN SAID THAT DENG HAD SOMETIMES SPOKEN AS IF IT WERE A DEADLINE, BUT AT OTHERS HAD SEEMED THAT HE WAS NOT RULING OUT FURTHER TALKS THEREAFTER. DENG SPOKE WITH EMPHASIS OF HIS HOPE THAT THE 3RHTISH GOVERNMENT WOULD KEEP A CLEAR MIND IN THIS AFFAIR (''ESPRIT LUCIDE'').
5. THE ONLY AMELHORATING THEME WAS DENG'S REFERENCE TO THE GOOD RELATIONS BETWEEN THE UK AND CHINA, AND HIS HOPE THAT THE HONG KONG ISSUE WOULD NOT DAMAGE THOSE RELATIONS OR THE PROSPECTS FOR COLLABORATION.
6. AS THE AMBASSADOR SAYS, DENG SEEMS TO HAVE INTERPRETED OUR APPROACH AS AN ATTEMPTED TO SEEK A JOINT ADMINISTRATION OF HONG KONG, OR AT LEAST TO HAVE CHOSES TO PRESENT IT AS SUCH. & AGREE THAT IT IS ESSENTHAL TO CLEAR THIS UP. MY ONLY COMMENT ON PARA 3 OF PEKING TELNO 1149 IS THAT WE SHOULD NOT USE THE PHRASE ''SUBJECT TO THE DIRECTION OF THE HEAD OF THE SAR GOVERNMENT''
See 525
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