SECRET
MKK040/16
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
SEP 1983
REGISTRY
PS/Mr Luce
DESK OFFICER INDEX
PA
Action Taken
m
CM13/10
NOPED
вет
Bh 2 wady
сник
CC: PS
PS/PUS
Mr Giffard
wees
Mr Donald o/r
вь
I week
INCAD 6/10 we
HONG KONG: BRIEFING OF PARLIAMENTARIANS ON HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
351.
Your minute of 7 September. I think it would be useful to try to give more MPs a knowledge of the historical background and the Chinese attitude. I think this should however be done selectively. I see difficulty in a full-scale meeting of the Hong Kong Parlia- mentary Group to hear a presentation by the FCO. The problem about that is that, if we explain why the Chinese are virtually bound to take a tough line, this is likely to lead to the assumption that we in the FCO are logically advocating concessions to meet the Chinese position. Before a large and unselected audience this could be very difficult.
2. The answer might be to arrange briefing of small groups of potentially helpful MPs. We are already doing a fair amount of this in talking to people before they visit Hong Kong. could expand it.
3.
But we
I suggest that the best first step would be to talk to Sir Peter Blaker, Chairman of the Parliamentary Group.
10
8 September 1983
#
41
SECRET
>>
R D Clift
Hong Kong Department