2914
Mr MM 24/4
Ms Major
Rn 27/10
From the Secretary of State
Mr
туани
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
London SW1A 2AH
123711
19 April 1990
HKD)
Dear Robert.
Thank you for your letter of 7 April. I have also
seen the publicity about it in the South China Morning
Post of 9 April.
It is certainly not the Government's policy to seek unnecessary quarrels with the Chinese Government, and
Francis Maude has said nothing which could possibly be
interpreted in that way. His remarks on the Today Programme on 6 April (which I take to have been the reason for your letter of the following day) were exactly
right.
In dealing with the very difficult issues which we face over Hong Kong, we pay due regard to Chinese sensitivities. But our prime responsibility is towards the people of Hong Kong. We also have an obligation under the Joint Declaration to maintain the stability and prosperity of the territory in the remaining years of
British administration. It is for these reasons that we decided to take steps to give full British citizen- ship to 50,000 key people in Hong Kong and their families. We do not believe that this decision is in conflict with
Robert Adley Esq MP
/the