Suret of State
CONFIDENTIAL
MKK040/13
REGE: SED IN REGISTR
SULI 1233
Private Secretary
INDEN
TRY
Taken
CM/31/10
Secretary Letters to issue
fuitche
17/10
HKK 040/13
FROM: R D Clift
Hong Kong Department
DATE : 13 October 1983
CC :
PS/Lady Young
PS/Mr Luce
PS/PUS
Mr Donald
Mr Elliott, FED
CORRESPONDENCE FROM MR ROBERT ADLEY MP
B
&
1. Mr Adley wrote to the Secretary of State on 4 October enclosing
a copy of his letter of the same date to the Prime Minister.
2.
Mr Adley has also been in touch with Mr Luce, who was able to
dissuade him from carrying out his threat to publish his letter to
the Prime Minister. The latter has been sent to us for a draft
reply under cover of Mr Flesher's letter of 5 October.
3. Mr Adley, who is chairman of the Anglo-Chinese
-
-
Parliamentary Group, has been urging us for some time to acknowledge China's sovereignty over the whole of Hong Kong at the earliest
opportunity. He has close contacts with the Chinese and is a
regular visitor to China where he has business interests. He has
also pressed his views strongly but to no effect on the Hong Kong Commissioner in London. Mr Adley considers that a long negotiation will prejudice the future of the majority of the people of Hong Kong and do irreparable damage to Sino-British relations, and to regard our desire to seek an agreement acceptable to the
people of Hong Kong as worth nothing.
CONFIDENTIAL
/4.
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