Mr
Ir pay, HI
HKD
HICB 02613
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
15 JAN1990
DESK OFFICER INDEX
REGISTRY
Action Taken
enter
Visit of the Secretary of State to Hong Kong
Was
Speech
The Secretary of State has seen the outline submitted with your minute of 4 January and is broadly content with it.
a.
b.
C.
đ.
e.
He would like to add the following elements:
His phrase about not just sitting back and letting the clock tick towards 1997. Instead we are pursuing an energetic policy to bring the Joint Declaration to reality;
Stress that Hong Kong should not be seen as a basket- case of problems but rather as a great success story with great prospects;
More on representative government including
reference to local proposals and the need for whatever we do to be credible locally and to be capable of surviving after 1997;
25
In the international section the Secretary of State would like to make the point that the trend in the world towards market economies etc is going Hong Kong's way. He might also mention strong international confidence in Hong Kong as seen by recent investments
(Sir David Ford itemised some of these when he saw the Secretary of State yesterday);
Greater emphasis on the importance of Hong Kong to Britain
continuing beyond 1997.
Could we, for example, mention our plans to have a large Post there and the British Council expansion plans?
As you will see from manuscript amendments to text, we should give less of an impression of Britian signing off with dignity, which is a consideration very much more for the domestic UK audience.
5 January 1990
CC:
PS/Mr Maude Mr Gillmore Mr McLaren
(R N Peirce)
News Department Special Advisers