CONFIDENTIAL
in Tudo bem, eve firm!
Mr Moris p. 9/1
You go away for a day & Internationalization runs
rampant!
M. Bx
FROM:
DATE:
CC:
PF Ricketts
Hong Kong Department
9 January 1992
PS
PS/Lord Caithness
Mr Appleyard
Mr Burns o/r
Sir John Coles
Mr Greenstock
Man Hanks
Mr Davies, FED
Mr Madden, SED
ECD (P)
TROIKA DISCUSSION OF HONG KONG
A
In
The Private Secretary's minute to Mr Appleyard of
8 January reports the Portugese proposal that at a meeting with the Chinese Foreign Minister on 18 February the Troika might raise Hong Kong and Macao.
2.
I see considerable risks in this. Macao is a much smaller and simpler place than Hong Kong, and the Portuguese take their responsibilities there less seriously than we take ours for Hong Kong. Our discussions with the Chinese are correspondingly more intense, difficult and sensitive than theirs.
3.
Particularly since Tiananmen, the Chinese have been paranoid about internationalisation of the Hong Kong problem, and we know that this remains one of their key concerns. Anything which fuels this paranoia makes it harder to do sensible bilateral business with them.
NC2AAV/1
CONFIDENTIAL