CONFIDENTIAL
HKD
026/13
036135
MDHIAN 0130
CONFIDENTIAL
FM BTC HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 252
OF 270725Z AUGUST 91
TOP COPY
DIST?
онкі)
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG, UKREP JLG HONG KONG, PEKING
YOUR TELNO 1524 TO HONG KONG: PRIME MINISTER'S VISIT: SPEECH FOR
THE COMMUNITY LUNCH.
1. HONG KONG GOVERNMENT COMMENTS ON THE DRAFT SPEECH SHOULD NATURALLY BE PARAMOUNT, BUT I OFFER THE FOLLOWING COMMENTS ON THE DRAFT.
2. OVERALL THE PROPOSED TEXT COULD DO MUCH MORE TO BOOST MORALE AND INSPIRE CONFIDENCE. HONG KONG WILL SURVIVE UNCHANGED IF THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY, LOCAL AND EXPATRIATE, HAVE SUFFICIENT CONFIDENCE IN THE FUTURE TO STAY AND TO KEEP THEIR CAPITAL HERE. NOW LESS THAN 6 YEARS FROM THE HANDOVER, BUSINESSES ARE BEGINNING TO MOVE OUT OF THE STAGE WHERE ANY INVESTMENT COULD BE RECOUPED AND A GOOD RETURN MADE BEFORE 1997: INVESTMENT DECISIONS MADE FROM NOW ON WILL INCREASINGLY LOOK FOR A RETURN AFTER 1997. IT IS THUS VERY IMPORTANT THAT CONFIDENCE BE MAINTAINED. MOREOVER A PRIME MINISTER'S VISIT IS NECESSARILY RELATIVELY RARE. SINCE THIS
IS THE MAIN SPEECH ON THIS VISIT I SUGGEST IT BE USED TO MAKE A
MORE RINGING DECLARATION OF HMG'S CONFIDENCE IN HONG KONG'S FUTURE.
3. MOREOVER, ALTHOUGH SEEING THE NEED TO ADDRESS POLITICAL AND SOCIAL ISSUES, HONG KONG NEVERTHELESS IS LARGELY ABOUT BUSINESS, AND I SUGGEST THAT THE SPEECH MIGHT REFLECT AN AWARENESS OF THIS.
4. TO THESE ENDS I OFFER THE FOLLOWING SPECIFIC SUGGESTIONS.
5. PARA 2, LINE 2. IS IT NECESSARY I WONDER TO LEAD IN TO THE PEKING VISIT IN THIS SOMEWHAT NEGATIVE WAY AND WITH A REFERENCE TO TIANAMEN, PARTICULARLY IF, AS WE HOPE, THE VISIT HAS BEEN A SUCCESSFUL ONE. IT MIGHT BE SUFFICIENT TO SAY THAT PEOPLE IN HONG
KONG UNDERSTANDING THE IMPORTANCE OF MAINTAINING RELATIONS WITH
CHINA, AND THAT THE VISIT MARKED AN IMPORTANT TURNING POINT IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF HONG KONG'S NEW AIRPORT AND AT THE SAME TIME
GAVE OPPORTUNITY FOR MANY OTHER FRUITFUL DISCUSSIONS ETC.