CODE 18-77
CONFIDENTIAL
56
Mr Hum, Hong Kong Department HK 027/9
Reference
Sukuther.
CANBERRA TELEGRAM NO 239: MR HAYDEN IN HONG KONG
ひ人
Track
(Bricks Austalias)
сладит
1. The Australian interest in Hong Kong is well recognised; the meagre record of our exchanges with Mr Hayden is not. As for the latter, all that has been achieved to date is a 45 minute bilateral with the Secretary of State at the General Assembly in September 1983. That meeting followed one arranged for 12 May at OECD in Paris. But Mr Pym cancelled the arrangement, and returned to London when the announcement was made of the calling of a General Election. The cancellation, I was told, left Mr Hayden feeling a little sore.
2. The latter is capable of pursuing ideas which, if they have support within the Australian Labour Party, are nevertheless unwelcome to Australia's friends and allies. Moreover, Mr Hayden is given to making statements in public which sharpen differences.
3. These considerations and the considerable influence which Australia exercises in South East Asia and the South Pacific and enjoin us to take particular care over the response to Mr Hayden. My first thought is to suggest an adjustment of the Secretary of State's travel plans to permit the two to meet. If that should prove impossible, we could fall back on the idea of a formal message.
3 April 1984
CONFIDENTIAL
ts. Chick
J S Chick
South Pacific Department
[HKK040/6
+ HO 2014
:::
!!!
88914