CONFIDENTIAL
HKB 026/20
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81
057272
MDHIAN 1290
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 2148
OF 291115Z JUNE 89
INFO IMMEDIATE BTC HONG KONG
MIPT: VISIT OF SECRETARY OF STATE
TEXT OF DRAFT SPEECH IS AS FOLLOWS :-
1. I KNOW THAT YOU WILL HAVE MANY QUESTIONS FOR ME AND I WISH TO
LEAVE AS MUCH TIME FOR ANSWERING THEM AS POSSIBLE. SO MY ADDRESS NOW WILL BE FAIRLY BRIEF, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SAY A FEW WORDS BY WAY OF INTRODUCTION. I WILL BE TALKING PARTICULARLY ABOUT THE
RESPONSIBILITY THAT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT HAS FOR HONG KONG AND ITS
PEOPLE UP TO 1997 AND BEYOND. I WILL MAKE PARTICULAR REFERENCE TO OUR RESPONSIBILITY FOR CIVIL SERVANTS IN HONG KONG.
2. WE HAVE ALL OF US BEEN HORRIFIED BY THE RECENT EVENTS IN CHINA.
FOR THE PAST TEN YEARS, CHINA HAD SEEMED SET ON THE ROAD TO GROWING LIBERALISATION IN ECONOMIC AFFAIRS AND THERE WERE BEGINNING TO BE SIGNS THAT THIS NEW SPIRIT OF FREEDOM WOULD SPREAD TO THE POLITICAL
SPHERE AS INDEED INEVITABLY ONE DAY IT MUST. ALTHOUGH SOME OF THE EXPERTS BELIEVED THAT THIS PROCESS COULD NEVER BE SMOOTH, NONE OF US EXPECTED SUCH A DRAMATIC SETBACK OR SUCH A GRIM RESORT TO BRUTE FORCE. WHAT HAS HAPPENED SHOWS THAT THE ROAD TO REFORM WILL BE A LONG AND HARD ONE. CHINA IS STILL A COMMUNIST COUNTRY. CLEARLY THE GOVERNMENT THERE IS NOT READY TO EMBARK ON A COURSE WHICH MIGHT LEAD TO A WEAKENING OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY'S POSITION, UNLIKE THE SITUATION WE ARE BEGINNING TO SEE IN PARTS OF EASTERN EUROPE.
2. HMG HAS MADE ABUNDANTLY CLEAR ITS OUTRAGE AND HORROR AT THESE EVENTS. HIGH LEVEL GOVERNMENT CONTACT HAS CEASED. TOGETHER WITH OUR EUROPEAN PARTNERS WE HAVE DEVISED A PACKAGE OF MEASURES TO EXPRESS THAT OUTRAGE IN CONCRETE TERMS. AS YOU KNOW, INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS LIKE THE WORLD BANK ARE ALSO SUSPENDING CONSIDERATION OF CONCESSIONARY LOANS TO CHINA. OUR POLICY TOWARDS CHINA WILL CONTINUE TO BE TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO BRING THE GOVERNMENT THERE CLOSER INTO LINE WITH THE STANDARD OF CONDUCT IN DEALING WITH ITS
PEOPLE THAT WE IN THE FREE WORLD REGARD AS PROPER.
CLEARLY, THERE IS A LONG WAY TO GO. WE HAVE HAD A STARK REMINDEER OF JUST HOW GREAT THE GAP IS.
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