CONFIDENTIAL
13 years.
disorder in Hong Kong in the next
Both to Sir Geoffrey
Howe in April and to a Hong Kong and Macau delegation on 3 October he said that "If some people want to damage the prosperity of Hong Kong, Peking will intervene."
7. Deng has taken a particularly strong stand on the basing of PLA troops in Hong Kong. During the negotiations he publicly slapped
down two other leaders who had suggested that the PLA might not be
The issue is obviously of considerable
based in Hong Kong.
sensitivity to him.
During the negotiations it was also apparent that he was strongly and personally committed to the concept of the Joint Liaison Group and its basing in Hong Kong.
8. Deng is reported to have told a Japanese delegation in October that the Basic Law might contain less detail than the agreement
itself.
PREMIER ZHAO ZIYANG
9. Zhao Ziyang also followed the negotiations closely. He sometimes appeared to show greater flexibility than Deng in his discussions with Sir Geoffrey Howe, but remained ultimately
answerable to Deng.
He
10. Zhao received a Hong Kong Government delegation invited to
Peking for the 35th anniversary celebrations in October. emphasised repeatedly to them that China would faithfully implement the agreement both in the spirit and the letter. The transitional period was very important, and the British and Hong Kong Governments and "people from various circles in Hong Kong" should cooperate to
assist with implementation of the agreement.
When the time came to
draft the Basic Law, the Chinese Government would solicit opinion
from a wide range of people in Hong Kong through appropriate
channels.
OUTSTANDING POINTS
11. There are a number of outstanding points that will in due
course need to be dicussed with the Chinese. Some are sensitive and
are better not raised at the highest level in order to avoid the risk of a rebuff at that level which would block further progress.