CONFIDENTIAL
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3121/3
152600
MDLIAN 0582
1991
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CONFIDENTIAL
FM PEKING
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 1225
OF 050424Z AUGUST 91
N
INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG, UKREP JLG HONG KONG, B T C HONG KONG
FOR H K D.
YOUR TELNO 1411.
CONFERENCE ON INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES IN HONG KONG.
1. IT WOULD BE NATURAL FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE TO SET THE SCENE FOR THE CONFERENCE BY DESCRIBING THE POLITICAL CONTEXT IN WHICH HONG KONG'S COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY WILL DEVELOP OVER THE NEXT SIX YEARS AND BEYOND. MUCH OF THE BACKGROUND WILL BE FAMILIAR, BUT THE SECRETARY OF STATE WILL ONLY RECENTLY HAVE RETURNED FROM HIS VISIT TO PEKING WITH THE PRIME MINISTER. ASSUMING THE VISIT HAS GONE WELL, HE SHOULD HAVE POSITIVE THINGS TO SAY ABOUT THE INTENTION OF THE TWO GOVERNMENTS TO COOPERATE CLOSELY IN FULFILLING THE TERMS OF THE JOINT DECLARATION, AND TO GIVE NEW IMPETUS TO THE WORK OF THE JLG.
2. DEPENDING ON HOW THE VISIT AND THE SIGNATURE OF THE MOU HAVE BEEN RECEIVED BY THE UK MEDIA, THE SECRETARY OF STATE MIGHT NEED TO DEVOTE A LITTLE TIME TO DEALING WITH THE ARGUMENTS OF THE CRITICS. BUT HE WOULD OBVIOUSLY NOT WANT HIS SPEECH TO BE DEFENSIVE IN TONE.
3.
I WOULD BE INCLINED TO LEAVE IT TO OTHERS TO TALK IN DETAIL ABOUT THE AIRPORT PROJECT AND THE OPPORTUNITIES IT OFFERS, AND THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE INCREASING INTEGRATION OF THE HONG KONG AND SOUTH CHINA ECONOMIES.
MCLAREN.
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