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BUT HE HAD BEEN UNABLE SO TO CONVINCE LEE KUAN YEW.
TO ALL).
(SEE MIFT, NOT
4
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I RECALLED TO DR GOH LEE KUAN YEW'S ADVICE TO MR PATTEN WHEN HE
PASSED THROUGH SINGAPORE IN EARLY JULY (MY TEL NO 220 AND MY LETTER OF 16 JULY TO GAVIN HEWITT IN SEAD, NOT TO ALL) IE THAT HE SHOULD MAKE UP HIS MIND WHAT HIS PARAMETERS WERE WHAT HMG WOULD BACK AND AT WHAT COST - DETERMINE HIS PRIORITIES, MAKE THEM PUBLIC, NAIL HIS COLOURS TO THE MAST AND STICK BY THEM. A CHALLENGE TO THE GOVERNOR, WHATEVER HIS POLICIES, HAD BEEN INEVITABLE. DID HE EXPECT CHINA TO TAKE ANY REAL ACTION TO HARM HONG KONG DR GOH
THOUGHT IT UNLIKELY. I NOTED THE NEED FOR LESS RHETORIC AND A
CALMER PERIOD AND HAVE SPOKEN IN SIMILAR TERMS TO A NUMBER OF MPS
AND LEADING BUSINESSMEN. (LORD STERLING HEARD A SIMILAR LITANY
DURING A DINNER DISCUSSION WHEN HE PASSED THROUGH SINGAPORE ON 19 NOVEMBER).
COMMENT
5. THE SINGAPORE GOVERNMENT WOULD APPRECIATE ANY INSIGHT WE CAN
GIVE THEM INTO OUR THINKING AND SOME INDICATION OF OUR ASSESSMENT
OF HOW WE SEE THE RELATIONSHIP WITH CHINA DEVELOPING. THEY HAVE REFRAINED CAREFULLY FROM ANY PUBLIC STATEMENT, THOUGH THE GOVERNMENT CONTROLLED PRESS HAS, HOWEVER, VOICED CONCERN: UNDER HEADINGS QUOTE A GRACIOUS RETREAT UNQUOTE AND QUOTE HIGH NOON IN
HONG KONG UNQUOTE RECENT EDITORIALS TAKE THE LINE THAT QUOTE THE
PRESENT STAND-OFF HELPS NOBODY UNQUOTE AND SUGGEST THAT BRITAIN SHOULD QUOTE REVIEW ITS OPTIONS UNQUOTE AND QUOTE THINK OF CREATIVE WAYS TO SAVE FACE UNQUOTE.
DUGGAN
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