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Mr Clift, Hong Kong Dept
Future of Hong Kong:
MIKKO40|!
INDEX
- 8 MAY 1984
Acceptability
CARY
231015
Lee
We discussed on the telephone the Secretary of State's manuscript comments on your minute of 1 May below.. As you will see, his main points are as follows. He takes the view that the process of consultation has already begun. Many of the 40 or so MPs he saw in the House yesterday regard themselves as taking part in it. A referendum is regarded both here and in Hong Kong as virtually dead.
What
is now needed is more formalised activity in Hong Kong through as many channels and bodies as possible.
I think that to meet his points, para 3 of your draft telegram, dealing with consultation before the publication of the draft agreement, needs to be expanded. It might be worth taking up the Governor's reference (Peking telno 813) to embarking on an active process of seeking the views of organisations and individuals in Hong Kong, and inviting him to set this process in hand with EXCO as soon as possible. This would not of course replace the important phase of consultation after the publication of the draft agreement. But as you know, the Secretary of State has very much in mind the point put forcefully to him in Hong Kong that since there will be no scope to amend the draft agreement once it is published, the process of consultation before publication is most important.
730
2 May 1984
cc:
Picketts
(P F Ricketts)
PS/Mr Luce PS/PUS
Sir P Cradock
Sir W Harding
Dr Wilson
Mr Burrows, Legal Advisers
Mr Orr, FED
Mr Walker, RD
Mr Roberts, News Dept
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