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Sir P Cradock
Private Secretary
M. Hym
SECRET
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FUTURE OF HONG KONG: LIFTING THE VEIL
PROBLEM
MAM 10
criz
Attack to (167
Pus
FROM: R D CLIFT, HKD
DATE: 8 MARCH 1984
cc: PS/Mr Luce
ANTONY ACLAND
PS/PUS
Sir I Sinclair
Sir W Harding
Doctor Wilson
Mr Thomson FED
Mr Walker
Research Dept.
Mr Butler,
Parliamentary Ut
1. How far and how fast can we 'lift the veil' on our
negotiations with the Chinese on the future of Hong Kong?
RECOMMENDATION
2. The first occasion for any major revelation should be the
statement which the Secretary of State proposes to make during his visit to Hong Kong in April. The Foreign Affairs Debate provisionally fixed for 22 March would however allow a start to the
process. The meeting of the Select Committee on Foreign Affairs to
which the Secretary of State will give evidence on 14 March would
not be a suitable occasion. A list of the main elements which might
be included in statements on those 3 occasions is annexed.
BACKGROUND AND ARGUMENT
3. It is part of the strategy agreed by Ministers and by EXCO that
we should begin soon to give some indications to Hong Kong of the
future course and likely outcome of the negotiations. This would begin a process of acclimatization and help opinion to form in advance of the publication of a draft agreement, scheduled in our timetable to take place by the end of September. The process of
establishing the acceptability of an agreement to Hong Kong would
thus be a longer and more gentle process than if it was concentrated in the period between publication of the draft agreement and its
SECRET
/debate