TNAG-0447-FCO40-512-Future-of-Hong-Kong-1974 — Page 4

CONFIDENTIAL

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

London SW1

Telephone 01-930 8440 Ext 31

J M Crosby Esq HM Embassy LUXEMBOURG

Your reference

Our reference

Date 30 October 1974

1.

هاون لاد

fen

- 1 OCT 1974

J K K L

Thank you for your letter of 11 October about the recent JIC report on Chinese policy during the 1970s (JIC (A) (74) 15). The Cabinet Office have decided that there would be no objection to your Ambassador passing not only the Summary but the entire paper to Mr Thorn. However, we would like you to make two small changes. First, the first sentence of paragraph 6(d) in the Summary which reads: "The Chinese want to re-possess Hong Kong but not yet." should be replaced by the first sentence of paragraph 31 of the main paper: "The Chinese have consistently maintained that Hong Kong is part of China, occupied by Britain under the terms of unequal treaties', and that its administration will eventually be resumed by China". Second, all references to the JIC or the Cabinet Office should be removed so that the paper is entirely unattributable.

2. I know that this will mean re-typing the paper before it can be passed to Mr Thorn, but I think that even so it will be a worthwhile move.

3. You will of course bear in mind the need to ensure that

Mr Thorn is quite clear that the paper is a Confidential assessment, that it is being handed to him on a Confidential basis, and that we trust that its handling will be accorded the security it requires.

cc PUSD

HKIOD FED

DJ Wright

Western European Dept

CONFIDENTIAL