CONFIDENTIAL
TOP COPY
HKC 02219 Q DIST?
• M
127772
MDLIAN 9470
CONFIDENTIAL
FM SINGAPORE
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 339
OF 030609Z DECEMBER 92
га,
Chinde recutis.
INFO PRIORITY GOVERNOR HONG KONG, WASHINGTON, ASEAN POSTS, INFO PRIORITY TOKYO, SEOUL, HANOI, CANBERRA AND WELLINGTON
HONG KONG AND CHINA
SUMMARY
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LEADING SINGAPOREANS ARE SHOWING IN PRIVATE INCREASING CONCERN ABOUT THE DETERIORATION IN RELATIONS BETWEEN HONG KONG AND CHINA.
THEY PROFESS NOT TO UNDERSTAND THE TACTICS WE ARE FOLLOWING AND
QUESTION THE SENSE OF CONFRONTING CHINA. LEE KUAN YEW PROFESSES
TO BELEIVE THERE IS SOME BRITISH-AMERICAN GAME-PLAN.
DETAIL
2. I HAVE BEEN RECEIVING AN INCREASING NUMBER OF REQUESTS FOR EXPLANATIONS OF OUR POLICY IN HONG KONG FROM LEADING SINGAPOREANS, BOTH IN GOVERNMENT AND FROM BUSINESS COMMUNITY (MY TELELETTER OF 12 NOVEMBER TO PETER RICKETTS, HONG KONG DEPARTMENT, NOT TO ALL). THEY EXPRESS CONCERN ABOUT THE WAY WE ARE APPARENTLY
CHALLENGING CHINA AND SUGGEST THAT IT IS FOOLISH TO PROVOKE THE
CHINESE REGIME FOR WHOM POLITICAL AUTHORITY IS ULTIMATELY A HIGHER
PRIORITY THAN ECONOMIC PROGRESS. (SECOND FOREIGN MINISTER GEORGE YEO ASKED A LEADING BRITISH BUSINESSMAN 'IS MR PATTEN MAD?') ON
THE SUBSTANCE OF THE GOVERNOR'S PROPOSALS THERE IS SOME CYNICAL COMMENT ABOUT OUR LATE CONVERSION TO THE PROPAGATION OF DEMOCRACY IN HONG KONG CAND HONG KONG'S POPULATION, IT IS SAID, IS INTERESTED ONLY IN ECONOMICS AND MONEY MAKING) AND SOME CONCERN THAT WE SHOULD
HAVE SO 'EXPLOITED THE GREY AREAS OF THE BASIC LAW AND THE JOINT DECLARATION.
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IN PARTICULAR, IN CONVERSATION LAST WEEKEND, DR GOH KENG SWEE, FORMER DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER AND A CLOSE CONFIDANT OF LEE KUAN YEW, WHO IS TASKED WITH CULTIVATING THE CHINESE LEADERSHIP, CLAIMED THAT HE HAD REPORTS THAT BEIJING THOUGHT THAT THE AMERICANS WERE PUTTING
BRITAIN UP TO THIS CHALLENGE TO THEIR AUTHORITY. HE SAID LEE KUAN
YEW SHARED THIS VIEW ON THE BASIS THAT NEITHER THE PRIME MINISTER
NOR THE GOVERNOR WOULD HAVE 'COOKED UP' SUCH A POLICY ON THEIR OWN.
DR GOH AGREED WITH ME THAT THIS WAS UNLIKELY TO BE AN AMERICAN PLOT
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