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GR 250
SECRET
SECRET
FM HONG KONG 1409502 SEP 83
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 1351 OF 14 SEPTEMBER
INFO IHMED HATE PEKING (PERSONAL FOR CHARGE)
YOUR TELNO 902: FUTURE OF HONG XONG: MR HEATH'S MEETING WITH UMELCO.
1. NO OFFICIAL WAS PRESENT AT MR HEATH'S MEETING WITH UMELCO WHICH LASTED WELL OVER AN HOUR. MR HEATH'S PARTY LEFT NO RECORD AND THE UMELCO RECORD IS NOT YET AVAILABLE.
2. FROM SUCH ACCOUNT AS WE HAVE SO FAR IT SEEMS THAT MR HEATH MADE THE FOLLOWING POINTS, IN ADDITION TO THOSE WHICH HE MADE TO THE PRESS IN PEKING ABOUT HIS INTERVIEW WITH DENG:
(A) IT WAS NOT THE CHINESE INTENTION TO TAKE ANY ACTION BEFORE 1997:
(B) THE CHINESE WERE FIRM THAT SOVEREIGNTY WAS NOT NEGOTIABLE: AND THERE WAS NO HOPE OF PERSUADING THE CHINESE TO SEPARATE SOVEREIGNTY AND ADMMMSTRATION:
(C) THE CHINESE WOULD F NECESSARY GIVE POLITICS PRIORITY OVER ECONOMICS AND WOULD REGAIN SOVEREIGNTY EVEN IF THIS MEANT SOME LOSS OF PEOPLE FROM HONG KONG AND A DIMINUTION OF ITS USEFULNESS TO THEM. THEY HAD SAND THAT EXPERTISE COULD IN ANY CASE BE BOUGHT: (D) THE ISSUE SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN RAISED SO EARLY: THE CHINESE WOULD HAVE BEEN CONTENT TO LET THINGS GO ON FOR A WHILE YET: (E) THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG WOULD HAVE TO ACCEPT THAT THE CHINESE MEANT WHAT THEY SAND OVER THE RECOVERY OF SOVEREIGNTY:
(F) HE UNDERSTOOD THE ANXIETIES OF PEOPLE ABOUT THE PAST BUT THINGS IN CHINA WERE CHANGING:
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(G) THE CHINESE POSITION IN RESISTING GIVING THE HONG KONG PEOPLE A DIRECT VOICE IN THE NIGOTIATIONS WAS EXPLICABLE BECAUSE THE TREATIES WERE BILATERAL BETWEEN CHINA AND THE U.K.
3. THE ABOVE IS BASED ON ONLY ACCOUNTS OF SOME UNOFFICIALS WHO WERE PRESENT AND PARTICULARLY SIR S.Y. CHUNG. THE MEETING WAS A DIFFICULT ONE (SEE MY TELNO 1344) AND A NUMBER OF UMELCO MEMBERS ADOPTED A CRITICAL AND INTERROGATIVE ATTITUDE ON A NUMBER OF POMATS.
YOUDE
FUTURE OF HONG KONG
LIMITED
HD/HKD
COPIES TO
SIR IAN SINCLAIR LEGAL ADVISER LEGAL ADVISER
MR BURROWS
HD/FED
MR ROBERTS
HD/PLANNING STAFF
MR MARTIN
HD/PUSD
PS
PS/LADY YOUNG
MR FLOWER
PS/MR LUCE
MR COLES
PS/PUS
SIR J BULLARD
MR GIFFARD
MR DONALD
MR WRIGHT
NEWS D
ASSESSMENTS STAFF
CABINET OFFICE
PUSD
NO 10 DOWNING STREET
SIR A PARSONS NO 10 DOWNING STREET
MR WALKER RESEARCH D GOGGS
SECRET
D