Mr Morris
53)
Reference.
CONFIDENTIAL
fice
す
BRITISH CONSULATE GENERAL: RESIDENCE
1.
Could I please be kept informed/involved in consideration of how to take this subject forward? I had a private word with Mr Bradley (Deputy Political Adviser) in Hong Kong about this earlier in the week and concluded that we should not regard Victoria House as a lost cause. The Governor and senior expatriate HKG officials had all been very negative about Colvin House, but the locals including ExCo had proved more relaxed. But if we were to get anywhere it would be essential for the new Governor to come out with a clear view of what he intended. The Chinese found us far easier to understand when we were asking for things that we wanted ourselves rather than when we took an altruistic approach.
2. It seems to me open to question whether the first Chief Executive of the Hong Kong SAR should, or would want to, live in Victoria House, the residence of the number two British Colonial official before the change of sovereignty. If the Chief Executive does not wish to live at Government House, is he not more likely to want to have a brand new prestige residence? Hong Kong could well afford to build one for him.
HKD 384/1
CODE 18-77
N J Cox
9 April 1992
cc: Mr Ricketts
Mr Stone
ASHAIS
CONFIDENTIAL
13 Ar 1992
ZB