CONFIDENTIAL
THIS IS A COPY THE ORIGINAL HAS BEEN CLOSED FOR
40 YEARS UNDER FOI EXEMPTION No. 27(1).....
BRIEFING FOR CONSERVATIVE FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTE ON 1 NOVEMBER
1983 FUTURE OF HONG KONG
POINTS TO MAKE
1.
2.
Confidentiality
Prime Minister's China visit September 1982. Talks agreed. Common aim. HMG's aim.
3. Talks. Initially slow.
4.
Prime Minister conceded nothing. Parliament alone can decide. Stressed need for arrangements after 1997, acceptable to Parliament, China and HongKong. Flexible approach.
5.
Second phase of talks. Began July. Five meetings so far. Next
14/15 November.
6.
Delegations.
on British side.
Composition. Governor of Hong Kong participating
7. Atmosphere friendly. Chinese tough on substance. Demand sovereignty and say sovereignty/administration indivisible. Reiterate SAR plan for Hong Kong.
SAR plan. Most Hong Kong people sceptical. Insufficient guarantees agains PRC interference,
8.
9.
July/September meetings. We attempted to educate Chinese on Hong Kong's complexities. Chinese suspicious.
10. October meeting. Headway. away.
We proposed, without prejudice
CONFIDENTIAL
Page 75Page 76