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CONFIDENTIAL
From: Lord Caithness
Date : 9 December 1991
CC: FCO Ministers
Special Advisors PUS
Chief Clerk Sir J Coles
Mr Bayne
Mr Appleyard Mr Burns
Mr Miles
Mr Davies, FED
Mr Ricketts, HKD
Mr Cooper, Planners
Mr Bertram, OED
Mr Chase, RMD
Sir Percy Cradock,
Mr Crystal, News Dept
284
No 10
Sir R McLaren KCMG, Peking Sir D Wilson GCMG,
Hong Kong
A C Galsworthy Esq CMG,
UKRep JLG, Hong Kong
PW Heap Esq SBTC CMG,
Hong Kong
J W MacDonald Esq, Shanghai
Secretary of State
CHINA, HONG KONG (AND MACAU), 27 NOVEMBER
1.
7 DECEMBER
When I set off for my ten day visit to China my principal objectives were (i) to acquire a better understanding of the Chinese perception of, and approach to, Hong Kong, and to make progress on some of the main issues; (ii) to build on your visit and that of the Prime Minister by developing a more comprehensive and mature UK-China relationship that is less Hong Kong focussed and in which a rounded dialogue on international and regional affairs has its proper place; (iii) to develop our commercial relations from their current low level and in particular to encourage the Chinese to think in terms of trade on a normal commercial basis; (iv) to gain some first hand impressions of China and the Chinese themselves.
2.
I have to say that I was only partially successful. My overriding impression after my talks in Peking with Qian Qichen, Vice Foreign Minister Tian Zengpei, Lu Ping and Vice Premier Zou Jiahua (the details of which have been reported by telegram) is the extent to which Hong Kong dominates the bilateral relationship and leaves no place for the development of a satisfactory dialogue on other issues. It ought to have
CONFIDENTIAL