CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO
TO TELELETTER BTC HONG KONG
TELELETTER NFR
OF 181508Z DEC 92
HKD 406/1
FROM J C MORRIS, HKD
TO S DAY, SENIOR BRITISH TRADE COMMISSIONER, HK
177517
MDTTAN 3063
213
th, Banner-Jones
пипат
21/12
FUTURE CONSULATE-GENERAL RESIDENCE
1.
WE WERE GRATEFUL FOR THE ACCOUNT OF YOUR LAST LOCAL
COORDINATING COMMITTEE MEETING ON 7 DECEMBER CONTAINED IN YOUR TELNO 345. THIS REMINDED ME THAT I STILL OWE YOU A REPLY TO
YOUR TELELETTER TO ME OF 23 NOVEMBER ABOUT THE FUTURE
CONSULATE-GENERAL RESIDENCE.
2.
TURNING FIRST TO YOUR TELELETTER, WHAT I THOUGHT WE HAD AGREED WHEN WE MET IN LONDON WAS THAT YOU WOULD CAREFULLY LOOK AT
THE THREE HOUSES SUGGESTED BY THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT AND LET US
HAVE YOUR VIEWS ON THEM. WE ARE OF COURSE PURSUING SEPARATELY
THE MATTER OF A POSSIBLE ALTERNATIVE RESIDENCE FOR YOU. BUT I
WOULD BE GRATEFUL IF YOU WOULD NEVERTHELESS EXAMINE MORE
THOROUGHLY THE THREE HOUSES HKG HAVE IDENTIFIED. PLEASE DO
NOT/NOT DISCUSS THESE MATTERS WITH NICHOLAS NG AT THIS STAGE.
THE TIME TO DO THIS WOULD BE WHEN WE HAVE RECEIVED YOUR REPORT ON
THESE PROPERTIES AND WE HAVE CONSIDERED WHETHER THIS OFFER SHOULD BE PURSUED.
3=
I AGREE WITH YOU THAT IT LOOKS UNLIKELY THAT WE WILL BE
OFFERED VICTORIA HOUSE OR THAT THE CHINESE WILL AGREE TO US TAKING OVER HQ HOUSE. HOWEVER, CIRCUMSTANCES COULD ALWAYS CHANGE SO WE WOULD NOT WISH TO RULE OUT THESE POSSIBILITIES ALTOGETHER.
AS YOU POINT OUT IN YOUR 3(C) THE DESIGN FOR THE NEW
CONSULATE-GENERAL BUILDING OFFERS A RANGE OF ENTERTAINMENT
POSSIBILITIES. BUT THIS WILL NOT NECESSARILY DICTATE THE SORT OF FUTURE RESIDENCE WE TAKE ON, AND WE SHOULD AIM FOR MAXIMUM
FLEXIBILITY.
WITH REFERENCE TO YOUR PARA 72 WE TOO HAVE DOUBTS ABOUT THE
NEED FOR A DEDICATED AREA IN CHANCERY FOR VISITING DEFENCE STAFF.
4.
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