GRS 410
RESTRICTED
TOP COPY
RESTRICTED
AMENDED DISTRIBUTION
FROM PEKING 16040OZ APR 84
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
16/4
259
TELEGRAM NUMBER 755 OF 16/4/84
RECEIVED
HERR 027/2
AKIWY
16 APR 1984
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
DE
JAY
1. FOLLOWING IS BASIS OF AN UNATTRIBUTABLE PRESS BRIEFING
GIVEN BY THE SECRETARY OF STATE, TO THE JOURNALISTS ON
BOARD HIS PLAANE, ON 15 APRIL:
2. BEGINS
·
DISCUSSIONS IN THE NEGOTIATIONS HAVE CONFIRMED THAT BOTH SIDES
ARE QUITE CLOSE ON LONG TERM AIMS (PROSPERITY AND STABILITY
IMPLY, FOR BOTH SIDES, A HIGH DEGREE OF CONTINUITY AND AUTONOMY).
3. NEGOTIATIONS APPROACHED ON BOTH SIDES IN GOODWILL
AND GOOD FAITH. HELPED BY SOUND AND INCREASINGLY
SUBSTANTIAL BILATERAL RELATIONS.
4. NEGOTIATIONS HAVE NOW TAKEN PLACE ON VIRTUALLY
ALL ASPECTS OF THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG. WE HAVE,
TO A LARGE EXTENT, A COMMON PERCEPTION OF THE COMPONENTS THAT ARE NECESSARY FOR HONG KONG'S LONG TERM
FUTURE.
5. BUT THE TASK OF CONVERTING THIS INTO A MUTUALLY ACCEPTABLE
AGREEMENT IS, AS WE ENVISAGED ALL ALONG, VERY DIFFICULT,
GIVEN:
- DIFFERING CULTURAL ATTITUDES, HISTORICAL EXPERIENCES, ETC.
SENSITIVITY OF SOME OF THE CONCEPTS INVOLVED (IN PARTICULAR SOVEREIGNTY AND THE NOTION, IMPLICIT IN HE HONG KONG NEGOTIATIONS, OF VOLUNTARY RESTRAINTS ON ITS EXERCISE) - THE COMPLEXITY AND UNIQUENESS OF THE SYSTEMS WHICH MAKE
UP HONG KONG.
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