Mr
CONFIDENTIAL AND PERSONAL
HKC 012/5
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
09 FEB 1993
DESK OFFICER
REGISTRY
From:
Sir John Coles
INDEX
PA
Action Taker.
Date:
CC:
4 February 1993
Private Secretary PS/Mr Goodlad PS/PUS
Mr Ricketts, HKD Mr Cornish, News
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Mr Bunk MB 9/
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Ham o/r
8/%.
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HONG KONG: SIR PERCY CRADOCK
1/2
1.
Sir Percy Cradock invited me to lunch today, recalling that we had agreed at Mr Goodlad's lunch early in the year to keep in touch.
2.
I told him where we stood on Hong Kong, while not of course mentioning the more delicate aspects such as those involving third parties.
3.
Sir Percy said that he had been approached by a Mr Harvey of the BBC about a programme which the BBC were to produce in early March on Hong Kong. This would be a substantial one hour programme. Lady Thatcher and others were appearing. He believed that Harvey was approaching senior FCO officials (not me so far). Sir Percy proposed to take part. He would take the line that the earlier British policy had been right and the need now was to defuse the situation. He thought this would be pretty uncontroversial. He felt that while he had said nothing in public since Mr Goodlad's lunch, he could not stay silent forever. It was important to him personally that his own views were publicly clear, particularly as he had been so much criticised and since the Governor had described his public statements as "dishonourable". was no longer a public servant after all.
He
CONFIDENTIAL AND PERSONAL
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