ZA
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7
1652
26
ISROWONFO 008/26
CO HONG KONG
00 FCO
00 PEKING
GRS 230
SECRET
HICK 100/7 RELINED, IN R269SIRY NO. 51 20 OCT 1983
DESK 0. INDEX
FM OTTAWA 261245Z SEPT 83
PA
FEGISTRY
grjan Taken
TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG (PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR)
TELEGRAM NUMBER 06 OF 26 SEPTEMBER
IMMEDIATE
DVANCE COPY,
AND TO IMMEDIATE FCO, WASHINGTON (FOR PS TO CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQ- UER), UKMIS NEW YORK (FOR PS TO FORIEGN AND COMMONWEALTH SECRETARY),
PEKING
FOR GOVERNOR FROM PRIVATE SECRETARY TO THE PRIME MINISTER
1. THE PRIME MINISTER HAS SEEN YOUR LATEST REPORTS AND IS OF COURSE
VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE CONTINUING AND RAPID SLIDE IN CONFIDENCE.
WE REALISE THAT YOU, MR LUCE AND SIR P CRADOCK WILL BE CONSIDERED
EVERY POSSIBILITY FOR STEMMING IT.
2.
IT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL TO HAVE YOUR JOINT ASSESSMENT ON THE
FOLLOWING POINTS:
MORAN
A) WHAT SORT OF STATEMENT FROM PEKING WOULD CONTRIBUTE TO A
STEADYING OF OPINION IN HONG KONG?
B) IS THERE ANY SUCH STATEMENT WHICH IN PRESENT CIRCUMSTANCES THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT COULD REALISTICALLY BE EXPECTED
TO MAKE?
C) WHAT MESSAGE SHOULD SIR P CRADOCK TAKE BACK TO PEKING
TO PERSUADE THE CHINESE LEADERS THAT THERE IS A GENUINE CRISIS
OF CONFIDENCE AND NOT JUST AN ARTIFICIAL CREATION OF THE
BRITISH ADMINISTRATION WHICH COULD BE STOPPED IF WE SO WISHED?
D) ARE THERE OTHER WAYS EG SPECIAL EMISSARIES OR MINISTERIAL
MESSAGES WHICH COULD BE USED TO GET ACROSS THE GENUINENESS AND
SERIOUSNESS OF THE SITUATION TO THE CHINESE LEADERSHIP?
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