CONFIDENTIAL
File
20
Mr Flower PUSD
cc: Mr Martin, Assessments Staff,
Cabinet Office
ECONOMIC VALUE OF HONG KONG TO CHINA
1.
Во
HKK091/1
KALIVED IN ARUK
10 MAY 1983
DESK OFFIC{*
INDEX
TRY
m. Takon
CH1315
I have seen your minute of 5 May to Mr Morris (ref ZJC 6/301/1). There is no question in our minds of authorising Hong Kong to hand over any kind of paper whether to Unofficials or others. However, it does seem to me that there is nothing in this particular paper, including the conclusions, which could not be drawn on safely by Hong Kong in answering questions from visitors and EXCO Unofficials on the general question of Hong Kong's economic value to China. The conclusions emerge so logically from the statistical material in the paper that no harm whatsoever could be done by their being drawn on.
2. I hope you and the Assessments Staff can therefore agree that we reply to Hong Kong as follows:
(a)
(b)
(c)
You should not hand over any kind of paper;
You may draw on the whole paper in briefing visitors and the Unofficials on a confidential basis; but
You should avoid any mention of sources where the various statistics are concerned, be they IMF, Assessments Staff, MOD or Chinese
Дит
10 May 1983
R D Clift
Hong Kong and General Department
THIS IS A COPY
THE ORIGINAL HAS BEEN RETAINED IN THE DEPARTMENT UNDER
SECTION 3 (4) OF THE PUBLIC RECORDS ACT 1958
CONFIDENTIAL