SECRET
32
FROM:
P J GOULDEN, NEWS
DATE:
4 SEPTEMBER 1984
Mr Galsworthy, HKD
Arecent raden чевариј in redrafting
୮
HILILO40 | 50
RECEIVEDRA.
POTHY
1 1SEP 1984
INDEX
PA
cc:
REGISTRY
tion Taken
ľ 142119
گاه
Private Secretary
PS/Mr Luce
Sir P Cradock
PS/PUS
Sir W Harding
Mr Bacon,
Parliamentary Unit
Miss Neville-Jones
Planning Staff Mr Bickford,
Legal Advisers Mr Elliott, FED
Mr Walker, Research Dept
/in the end
successfully
FUTURE OF HONG KONG: WHITE PAPER
1. One point which struck me on reading your draft was that it does not fully convey the extent to which the British negotiators have fought for Hong Kong's interests. Indeed, the account of the negotiations in paragraph 10 conveys the impression that, whenever we came up against a Chinese objection of principle, we adjusted our approach.
2. I realise that we have no interest in selling the agreement as a British victory over the Chinese.
But my contacts with Hong Kong journalists suggest that we have a strong presentational need to convince the people of Hong Kong that the British team have fought hard on their behalf, have not retreated in the face of opposition and have forced the Chinese to compromise. This message was reinforced to me when I saw Man-yee, the new Director- designate of the Hong Kong GIS, today.
3. The flavour I have in mind could perhaps be included by beginning paragraph 26 in the following way:
The British side have throughout negotiated energetically and / to secure an agreement which meets the needs and wishes of the people of Hong Kong. The agreement inevitably represents a compromise, in which both sides
have had to respect cardinal points of principle on the other side. As is normal with international agreements
The Canlaon
Goulden
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