CONFIDENTIAL
7
одох
175227
MDHIAN 2996
TOP COPY Q DIST?
CONFIDENTIAL
FM SINGAPORE
TO DESKBY 18100OZ FCO
TELNO 347
OF 180854Z DECEMBER 92
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING, WASHINGTON, TOKYO
pa
INFO PRIORITY BANGKOK, BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, MANILA, JAKARTA
INFO PRIORITY KUALA LUMPUR, SEOUL, HANOI, CANBERRA, WELLINGTON,
6
HONG KONG TELNO 2915 TO FCO: LEE KUAN YEW'S VIEWS ON HONG KONG AND CHINA
SUMMARY
1.
SINGAPOREANS REMAIN SCEPTICAL ABOUT OUR DENIALS OF ANY ANGLO-AMERICAN PLOT. LEE KUAN YEW MAY WELL HARBOUR SINCERE DOUBTS ABOUT THE WISDOM OF OUR PRESENT TACTICS TOWARDS PEKING. HE LISTENS TO NO-ONE HERE AND WILL BE DIFFICULT TO DISSUADE FROM HIS CONSPIRACY THEORY. BUT MR RIFKIND'S VISIT ON 11 JANUARY OFFERS AN OPPORTUNITY TO SEEK FROM HIM AT LEAST LESS PUBLICITY AND MORE UNDERSTANDING OF THE PROBLEMS HE IS CREATING FOR US.
DETAIL
2.
FOLLOWING RECEIPT OF FCO TELNO 273, I HAVE SPOKEN WITH A SERIES OF SENIOR SINGAPOREANS (INCLUDING THE ACTING DEFENCE MINISTER, THE RELEVANT DEPUTY SECRETARY IN THE MFA, THE CHAIRMAN OF SINGAPORE PRESS HOLDINGS: AND FOREIGN MINISTER WONG KAN SENG COMES TO LUNCH ON MONDAY 21ST). SEEKING TO DEBUNK THE CONSPIRACY THEORY, I HAVE SAID FIRMLY THAT THERE IS NO BRITISH-AMERICAN PLOT, NO ATTEMPT TO DESTABILISE CHINA, THAT WHAT WE ARE PROPOSING IS MODEST, REQUIRED TO MEET THE WISH OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG FOR A GREATER SAY IN THEIR AFFAIRS AND SUBJECT ULTIMATELY TO THEIR VIEWS THROUGH THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.
3. OUR SINGAPORE FRIENDS, I CONFESS, APPEAR TO REMAIN SCEPTICAL, NOT LEAST ABOUT WHAT THEY REGARD AS OUR LATE CONVERSION TO THE NEED FOR MORE DEMOCRACY IN HONG KONG AND AS TO WHY WE SHOULD BE CONFRONTING PEKING NOW IN THIS MANNER (MY TELNO 339). BOTH DEFENCE MINISTER LEE BOON YANG AND SPH CHAIRMAN, LIM KIM SAN, ALLUDED TO CHINESE FEARS OF ENCIRCLEMENT (EG THE SALE OF PLANES TO TAIWAN) AND OF GOING THE WAY OF THE SOVIET UNION. THE MFA DEPUTY SECRETARY QUOTED THE VIEWS OF NOBLE LORDS WILSON AND MACLEHOSE AND OF SIR PERCY CRADOCK, WHICH REPORTS HERE OF LEE KUAN YEW'S HONG KONG SPEECH ALSO REFER TO THESE EXTENSIVELY.
PAGE CONFIDENTIAL
1
HID 021
021/9