CONFIDENTIAL
OPPORTUNITY TO GO OVER MANY OF THE ABOVE ISSUES.
MDHI
400036
1913 ↑
11. THE NON-OFFICIAL MEMBERS OF EXCO WERE CLEARLY PLEASED THAT THE PRIME MINISTER HAD RAISED THE QUESTION OF OMELCO RECOGNITION IN PEKING. THEY REFLECTED TO HIM THE COMMUNITY'S CONCERN OVER VIETNAMESE MIGRANTS. THE PRIME MINISTER AGREED ON THE NEED FOR A PERMANENT SOLUTION, BUT EMPHASISED THAT HONG KONG SHOULD NOT TAKE ANY ACTION THAT WOULD DAMAGE ITS INTERNATIONAL REPUTATION. HE STRESSED HIS CONTINUING BELIEF IN THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN OF ACTION AND HIS HOPE THAT WE COULD REACH AN AGREEMENT ON INTERNATIONALLY MANAGED CENTRES WITH VIETNAM.
12. THE PRIME MINISTER CONCLUDED HIS MEETING WITH EXCO BY OFFERING TO MEET MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL IN LONDON NEXT YEAR. THIS IS AN EXCELLENT IDEA AND WAS WARMLY WELCOMED BY LADY DUNN.
CONCLUSION
13. IT WAS WIDELY APPRECIATED HERE THAT THE PRIME MINISTER'S
VISIT TO PEKING WAS MADE AT SOME POTENTIAL POLITICAL COST IN THE UK. HONG KONG PEOPLE WERE GRATEFUL THAT HE WAS PREPARED TO MAKE THE TRIP FOR HONG KONG'S SAKE. BOTH FOR THIS REASON, AND BECAUSE THE PEKING AND HONG KONG LEGS OF THE JOURNEY WENT WELL, THE VISIT GOT A GOOD PRESS. THE MESSAGE, WHICH THE PRIME MINISTER CONSTANTLY STRESSED, THAT BRITAIN STANDS BY HONG KONG AND IS DETERMINED TO SAFEGUARD ITS FUTURE, ITS PROSPERITY AND ITS FREEDOM IS ONE WHICH IS WELCOME TO PEOPLE HERE HOWEVER MUCH SOME OF THE CYNICS TRY TO CAST DOUBT ON WHAT IT MIGHT MEAN IN PRACTICE.
14. IT MUST HAVE BEEN AN EXHAUSTING WEEK FOR THE PRIME MINISTER AND HIS PARTY. I AM EXTREMELY GRATEFUL TO HIM FOR BEING PREPARED TO TAKE THE RISK OF GOING TO PEKING IN THE INTERESTS OF HONG KONG AND THEN UNDERGOING A GRUELLING PROGRAMME HERE WITH AN ENERGY AND GOOD NATURE WHICH WAS MUCH APPRECIATED BY ALL WHO ENCOUNTERED HIM.
WILSON