XN000022-1988-11-26 — Page 2

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 26,

1988

TOTAL COMMITMENT TO AGREEMENT: SIR PERCY

PERCY CRADOCK, DURING A BBC THE BBC WORLD

FOLLOWING IS THE TEXT OF A TALK GIVEN BY SIR FOREIGN POLICY ADVISER TO THE BRITISH PRIME MINISTER, PROGRAMME, "PERSONAL VIEW", WHICH WAS BROADCAST ON SERVICE IN HONG KONG TODAY (SATURDAY) ON RTHK'S RADIO 5:

THE HONG KONG AGREEMENT OF 1984 BETWEEN BRITAIN

AND CHINA, WHICH SETTLED THE FUTURE OF THE TERRITORY, HAS COME UNDER A LOT OF FIRE RECENTLY IN THE BRITISH PRESS. A CROP OF ARTICLES HAVE ASSAILED IT AS AN EXHIBITION OF BRITISH OR FOREIGN OFFICE WEAKNESS, COMPLIANCE WITH CHINA, OR EVEN AS A BETRAYAL OF THE PEOPLE KONG. UNIVERSALLY ACCLAIMED AT THE TIME, THE AGREEMENT NOW WE JUDGE BY THE PRESS, TO HAVE GONE RATHER SOUR.

IN THIS TALK I SHALL TRY TO SAY SOMETHING ABOUT THE HOW IT SEEMED TO THOSE WHO NEGOTIATED IT AND WHAT IT HOLDS OUT FOR HONG KONG.

OR UNDUE OF HONG SEEMS, IF

AGREEMENT,

ARE THE PROSPECTS

IN

I HAVE TO DECLARE AN INTEREST. I HAVE BEEN VERY CLOSELY INVOLVED. FIRST AS BRITISH AMBASSADOR IN PEKING I LED OUR NEGOTIATING TEAM FOR THE FIRST YEAR OF THE NEGOTIATIONS. ON RETURN TO LONDON 1984 I WAS, AT OFFICIAL LEVEL, IN CHARGE OF THE NEGOTIATIONS UNTIL THE AGREEMENT WAS SIGNED IN DECEMBER OF THAT YEAR. SINCE 1984 AS FOREIGN POLICY ADVISER TO MRS THATCHER I HAVE FOLLOWED DEVELOPMENTS ALMOST AS CLOSELY.

FOR ANYONE LOOKING BACK ON A BIG NEGOTIATION OF THIS KIND THE PAST IS A CURIOUS PATCHWORK. ON THE ONE HAND THERE IS THE OFFICIAL MATERIAL THE COMMUNIQUES, THE WHITE PAPERS AND THE LIKE. ON THE OTHER THERE ARE THE MORE VIVID PERSONAL RECOLLECTIONS. Ι RECALL FOR EXAMPLE OUR FIRST TENTATIVE APPROACHES TO THE CHINESE IN 1979, WHEN WE WERE BECOMING INCREASINGLY CONCERNED THAT UNLESS SOMETHING WAS DONE BUSINESS CONFIDENCE IN HONG KONG WOULD SOON FALTER. I RECALL MRS THATCHER'S VISIT TO PEKING IN 1982, WHICH SET THE NEGOTIATION GOING. AND THEN THE HOT SUMMER OF 1983 AND THE FORMAL SESSIONS IN THE FOREIGN MINISTRY GUEST HOUSE IN PEKING

THE OLD AUSTRO-HUNGARIAN LEGATION - AS WE ARGUED, AS IT TURNED OUT UNAVAILINGLY, FOR THE CONTINUANCE OF BRITISH ADMINISTRATION IN HONG KONG. I RECALL THE CRITICAL MEETINGS IN LONDON WITH MEMBERS OF THE HONG KONG EXECUTIVE COUNCIL PRESENT. BUT PARTICULARLY I REMEMBER THE FIRST DAY OF SIR GEOFFREY HOWE'S VISIT TO PEKING IN LATE JULY 1984 WHEN I WAS ASKED ΤΟ A PRIVATE LUNCH WITH THE CHIEF CHINESE NEGOTIATOR AND HEARD HIM TO ME WHAT WAS CLEARLY THE BREAK-THROUGH OFFER. AND THEN RETURNING TELL THE FOREIGN SECRETARY AND HOW WE DISCUSSED IT IN THE GARDEN THE GUEST HOUSE

RATHER A SMALL,

TENSE GROUP GATHERED UNDER THE SHADE OF A FLOWERING TREE, WITH A SENSE THAT WE WERE AT A CRITICAL POINT, EVEN, AS ONE OF US PUT IT, THAT WE WERE BRUSHED BY THE WIND OF HISTORY.

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