CONFIDENTIAL
FM SINGAPORE
TO DESKBY 09100OZ FCO
TELNO 220
OF 090858Z JULY 92
AND TO PRIORITY HONG KONG
INFO PRIORITY BTC HONG KONG
HONG KONG FOR PS/GOVERNOR
CONFIDENTIAL
320
006205 MDHIAN 1260
TOP COPY Q DIST?
pa
درومن
VISIT OF GOVERNOR (DESIGNATE) HONG KONG
SUMMARY
1. SINGAPORE MINISTERS APPRECIATED AND RESPONDED WELL TO MR PATTEN'S VISIT AND OFFERED SOME USEFUL REGIONAL PERSPECTIVES ON
CHINA. THEY STRESSED SINGAPORE'S INTEREST IN A VIABLE HONG KONG WHICH THEY REGARD AS ECONOMICALLY COMPLEMENTARY.
DETAIL
2. MR PATTEN, WITH HIS FAMILY VISITED SINGAPORE FROM 6 TO 9 JULY STAYING WITH ME EN ROUTE TO KONG KONG. HE CALLED ON PRIME MINISTER GOH CHOK TONG, FINANCE MINISTER RICHARD HU, ACTING FOREIGN MINISTER BG GEORGE YEO, AND ON SENIOR MINISTER LEE KUAN YEW, WHO ALSO CAME TO DINNER AT THE RESIDENCE. MR PATTEN ALSO JOINED MY MONTHLY LUNCH DISCUSSION FOR TOP UK BUSINESSMEN WITH REGIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES.
3 =
THE VISIT WAS INTENDED TO GIVE MR PATTEN A BREATHER BEFORE HIS ARRIVAL IN HONG KONG, AND TO PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR EXCHANGES WITH SINGAPORE LEADERS, NOT LEAST TO OBTAIN THEIR PERSPECTIVE ON HONG KONG AND CHINA. MR PATTEN WAS WARMLY AND COURTEOUSLY RECEIVED. ALL HIS CALLS RAN WELL OVER TIME. SINGAPORE MINISTERS SPOKE FRANKLY NOTING SYMPATHETICALLY THE SIZE OF THE TASK THAT AWAITED HIM ('I DO NOT ENVY YOU YOUR JOB' SAID LEE KUAN YEW)
4. LEE KUAN YEW SAID HE HAD TRIED TO THINK WHAT HE WOULD DO IN THE GOVERNOR'S POSITION. IT WAS IMPORTANT TO WORK OUT CLEARLY WHAT THE PARAMETERS WERE WHAT HMG REGARDED AS ESSENTIAL AND AT WHAT COST TO MAKE THEM KNOWN AND TO ACT FIRMLY IN PURSUING THEM. THE CHINESE WOULD RESPECT THIS. HE WOULD THEN BE JUDGED BY STANDARDS HE HAD SET FOR HIMSELF. HE WOULD NEED TO BE ROBUST BUT CALM. LEE KUAN YEW THOUGHT MR PATTEN HAD AN IMMEDIATE PROBLEM IN
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CONFIDENTIAL
HKD 015/1
$997