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DD 23010OZ HONG KONG
GRS 467
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DESKBY 23010OZ
FM FCO 221230Z MAR 84
TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
TELEGRAM NUMBER 537 OF 22 MARCH 1984
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING
34YOUR TEL NO 771: FUTURE OF HONG KONG:
SECRETARY OF STATE'S SPEECH
1.
HKK040/31
>
댕기도
FOREIGN AFFAIRS' DEBATE:
IN ORDER TO REPLY TO QUESTIONS FROM THE PRESS NEWS DEPARTMENT WILL BE DRAWING ON THE STANDARD LIST OF NOTES FOR SUPPLEMENTARIES
HKK040/9 ALREADY AVAILABLE TO YOU. (OUR TEL NO
REFERS.) MIFT(36)
CONTAINS A SUPPLEMENTARY LIST WHICH DEALS WITH THE SECRETARY OF
STATE'S VISIT TO PEKING AND HONG KONG, WITH THE LEGCO DEBATE, AND WITH THE DESIRE OF HONG KONG PEOPLE TO HAVE MORE INFORMATION
HKK040/14 99.
ABOUT THE TALKS (YOUR BARA 2(C) REFERS).
SOME OF
THE POINTS IN YOUR TUR ARE ALREADY COVERED BY THAT MATERIAL.
2. WE HAVE THE FOLLOWING ADDITIONAL COMMENTS:-
(A) PARA 4 OF THE SPEECH. YOU SHOULD KNOW (TELECON CLIFT/
GOVERNOR REFERS) THAT THE PARAGRAPH WAS FURTHER REVISED: THE
TEXT AS DELIVERED READS AS FOLLOWS:
QUOTE
WE MUST AND DO BEAR IN MIND THE REALITIES OF THE SITUATION
AND THE UNIQUE HISTORICAL AND GEOGRAPHICAL CIRCUMSTANCES OF HONG KONG. AT PRESENT, CONTINUITY IS ASSURED BY BRITISH ADMINISTRATION. BUT IN 1997 BRITAIN'S LEASE OF 92 PERCENT OF THE TERRITORY COMES TO AN END. IT IS IN THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES THAT
IT BECOMES POSSIBLE AND INDEED DESTRABLE TO VISUALISE
OTHER WAYS IN WHICH CONTINUITY CAN BE ASSURED. UNQUOTE.
THE GENERAL POINT IS COVERED IN NOTES FOR SUPPLEMENTARIES PARAS L6 17.IF SPECIFIC REFERENCE IS MADE TO PARA 4 OF THE SPEECH, WE SUGGEST THE FOLLOWING LINE: QUOTE
G
THIS PASSAGE OF THE SPEECH IS NO MORE THAN A REALISTIC
DESCRIPTION OF HONG KONG'S SITUATION AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR THE NEGOTIATIONS. WE HAVE SAID CONSISTENTLY THAT WE ARE WILLING TO CONSIDER ANY MEASURES WHICH WOULD SAFEGUARD HONG
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