CONFIDENTIAL
MR GOODLAD'S VISIT TO HONG KONG: 11
BRIEF NO 10
12 OCTOBER 1993
SPEAKING NOTES FOR MR GOODLAD WITH EXCO
Pleasure to be back. A frank discussion with ExCo is always
a key part of my visits to Hong Kong. Douglas Hurd and I
greatly value your advice on the difficult issues we face in
relations with China, and the firm support you give the
Governor. I am always glad to see members of ExCo when they are passing through London.
Congratulations to the Governor on the success of his LegCo address. Entirely justified, given the scope of new initiatives and new thinking in the speech. Also a useful
reminder to us in London that there are other things on your agenda than elections and airports!
But the talks with China are obviously a central
preoccupation for the community. I know that the Hong Kong Government members of Sir Robin McLaren's team have put in
an immense amount of hard work. We are grateful for that
and for the time and attention which this Council have given
to the talks.
speak.note.PET.JRB
The Governor gave you an account last week of the
Foreign Secretary's bilateral with the Chinese Foreign
Minister in New York on 1 October. Douglas Hurd came away from that meeting feeling that although chances of success
in the talks were not great, they were certainly not zero.
He was clear that we should work hard in the time that
remains to try to make a success of them. It is obviously
preferable to reach agreement if we can without compromising
our essential principles. I am glad that you approved last
week the further move on the Civil Service Functional
Constituency. Our negotiators have already deployed that.
It will have sent a clear signal to the Chinese side that we
are continuing to make efforts in the search for an
CONFIDENTIAL