GRS 300
CONFIDENTIAL
DESKBY 16090OZ F C O
DESKBY 1609OOZ HONGAID
CONFIDENTIAL HKK 040/2
RLCLIVEÐNI
16 JAN 1985
48
FM HONG KONG 16084OZ JAN 85
TO IMMEDIATE F C O
TELEGRAM NUMBER 136 OF 16 JANUARY
n
17/1
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON, PEKING AND UKMIS NEW YORK (FOR SIR E YOUDE)
HONG KONG BILL : SECOND READING : UMELCO DELEGATION
I HAVE JUST BEEN INFORMED BY SIR S Y CHUNG THAT UMELCO HAS
NOW DECIDED TO SEND A SMALL DELEGATION TO LONDON FOR THE SECOND
READING ON 21 JANUARY. MISS MARIA TAM AND MR. PETER C WONG WILL
BE LEAVING HONG KONG THIS EVENING. SIR S Y CHUNG WILL LEAVE IN THE
EVENING OF SATURDAY 19 JANUARY UPON HIS RETURN FROM PEKING. ALL
THREE PLAN TO RETURN TO HONG KONG BY A LITE FLIGHT LEAVING LONDON
ON TUESDAY 22 JANUARY.
2. SIR S Y GAVE THREE REASONS FOR THEIR DECISION TO SEND A
DELEGATION AFTER ALL:
(A) IN VIEW OF MR ENOCH POWELL'S DEMARCHE (YOUR TELNO 96), WHICH HAS
BEEN REPORTED IN HONG KONG AND HAS ALSO GENERATED CONSIDERABLE PRESS
INTEREST HERE, UMELCO WISHED TO SHOW THEIR SUPPORT FOR THE ORDER-IN-
COUNCIL PROCEDURE (SIC).
(B) AS THE GOVERNOR WILL BE ATTENDING THE DEBATE, IT WOULD LOOK ODD
IN HONG KONG IF UMELCO WERE NOT REPRESENTED AT ALL.
(C) THEY WISHED TO PRESS FOR THE ORDER-IN-COUNCIL ON NATIONITY TO BE
PASSED WITHIN A YEAR.
SIR S Y STRESSED THAT UMELCO'S GENERAL AIM WAS TO SHOW SUPPORT FOR
HMG AND NOT TO CAUSE ANY CONTROVERSY.
3. SIR S Y ASKED WHETHER ARRANGEMENTS COULD BE MADE FOR THE
DELEGATION TO CALL ON MR. LUCE ON MONDAY MORNING SO THAT THEY COULD
EXPLAIN THEIR PRESENCE IN LONDON. THE DELEGATION WOULD ALSO LIKE
THE S OF S TO KNOW THAT THEY VERY MUCH HOPE TO BE ABLE TO PAY
A COURTESY CALL ON HIM (BUT WOULD UNDERSTAND IF SIR GEOFFREY'S
TIMETABLE DOES NOT ALLOW THIS)
CONFIDENTIAL
14.