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FM SEOUL
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 625
OF 240611Z DECEMBER 92
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TOP COPY Q DIC
(28)
012657
MDLIAN 4030
ра
29/12
AND TO PRIORITY TOKYO, ASEAN POSTS, HANOI, PEKING
INFO ROUTINE HONG KONG, SINGAPORE, CANBERRA, WELLINGTON, WASHINGTON
FCO TELNO 675: LEE KWAN YEW'S VIEWS ON HONG KONG AND CHINA
·
1 ACTION TAKEN ON 23 DECEMBER. AIDE MEMOIRE CONTAINING POINTS IN YOUR TELNO 273 TO SINGAPORE AND TUR HANDED TO NORTH EAST ASIA DIVISION 2, MFA.
2.
DEPUTY DIRECTORS YEON AND KWON SHOWED INTEREST IN OUR EFFORTS TO DEFUSE LEE KUAN YEW'S COMMENTS. THEY HAD NO PARTICULAR RESPONSE OTHER THAN TO EXPRESS THE RECOGNITION OF CHINA'S EFFORTS TO COUNTERACT THE SPREAD OF DEMOCRACY FROM HONG KONG ALONGSIDE ECONOMIC PROSPERITY. WHEN ASKED FOR THEIR REACTION TO LEE'S COMMENTS, THEY SAID THEY WERE NOT PARTICULARLY EXERCISED BY THEM BUT WERE FOLLOWING HMG'S NEGOTIATIONS WITH PEKING OVER HONG KONG. THEY WERE PARTICULARLY INTERESTED IN MR PATTEN'S STYLE OF GOVERNORSHIP AND HIS POLITICAL RECORD IN THE UK.
COMMENT
3. YEON AND KWON SEEMED SATISFIED WITH OUR EXPLANATION. IT IS UNLIKELY THE KOREANS WILL TREAT THIS ISSUE WITH ANY IMPORTANCE.
WRIGHT
YYYY
ΜΑΙΝ
.HK POLICY
HKD
SEAD
PUSD
FED
71
HILD 021/9
DISTRIBUTION
72
NTCD
PLANNERS
RAD
PS
PS/MR GOODLAD
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