Arki
FROM
NICHOLAS
BETHELL
The Rt Hon Alistair Goodlad,
House of Commons
Westminster
London SW1A OAA
EF MOR
HOUSE OF LORDS
TEL: 071-402-6877
FAX: 071-706-1287
MP
73 SUSSEX SQUARE
LONDON W2 2SS
Dear Alistair
611
M Modi's fi
Micr
4th November 1992
Kita
Maffucked
for shart + friendly reply pre
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I am so sorry that I could not in the end get to your Lancaster House reception about Hong Kong.
I am pleased to see that Chris Patten is taking a robust line with China on this issue and I hope that eventually he will find a way of increasing the number of directly elected members of the Legislative Assembly.
Please do not be over-influenced by those who say that you are provoking the Chinese to do terrible things over Hong Kong. They will act in their national interest, which is to preserve Hong Kong as an important world economy and trading centre. They simply cannot afford to let it fall into chaos.
The same words of over-caution were used in the mid-1980s about the Soviet Union. We were told again and again, "Don't push the Soviets too hard. They will react angrily and all your efforts will be counter productive."
This proved to be the wrong advice and I beleive that similar advice, now being proferred about Hong Kong and China, is also wrong. Perhaps we could have another word about this some time soon.
With all good wishes,
Yous ever
mihizus
Lord Bethell,
MEP
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Mr Ricketts, Head of
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Mr Hum
HKD
Mr Davies, Head of FED
for advice and draft
reply please.
G.J. Devey stil
PS/M Goodhad