HKC 02/
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
10 FEB
1993
DESK OFFICER
INDEX
PA
REGISTRY Action Taken
ET MON
10 DOWNING STREET
LONDON SWIA 2AA
ec
HIQ
Mr Goodlad
FRth.
со
THE PRIME MINISTER
Dor for Ralph
4A
8 February 1993
Вике
M Mon 9/2
M. Blake Morg/in Me which rose
Thank you for your letter of 15 January about Ambassador Ma's
comments to you on Hong Kong.
Hong Kong is now a much more political place, and we need to respond
to the clear wish of the people there for a greater say in the running of their
own affairs. This is a key part of maintaining Hong Kong's vitality, and its
attractiveness to international investors.
It is not the case that we have moved away from the 1984 Sino-British
Joint Declaration. That remains the basis of our policy. Chris Patten's
proposals were carefully designed to be consistent with this agreement and with
China's Basic Law. It will be up to the Legislative Council to make the final
decisions later this year. Meanwhile, we have been urging the Chinese to sit
down with us and discuss the points on which we disagree. The right way to
resolve the dispute is by dialogue, not pressure tactics.
We will keep much in mind the interest of companies like yours who
have significant business prospects in China. Equally, we have responsibilities
to discharge in Hong Kong. I believe we can reconcile the two.