Type 1 +
FROM
*To:-
PUS
HE Sir Murray MacLehose KCMG KCVO MBE HONG KONG
Telephone No. Ext.
Department
DSR 44
MARKING
................. In Confidence
1.
Political events at home have clearly made for some uncertainty over the Secretary of State's plans to visit the Far East. However, we have to continue to prepare for it and I am, therefore, enclosing a copy of the Planning Paper now revised, so far as possible, in the light of your Despatches of 13 February on the future of Hong Kong and of 6 March on the domestic policies of the Hong Kong Government. I have read these with much interest and I am grateful for so perceptive an account of the questions at issue as seen from Hong Kong.
2.
There is, I think, complete identity of view on the sections of the Paper dealing with the Chinese dimension, Lord Goronwy-Roberts, who has read the Planning Paper and the two Despatches, has told us that he fully supports the official view that it would be most unwise at' this stage to embark upon any substantive discussion of the future of the Colony with the Chinese; and that there are real dangers for us in attempting to discuss with them any adjustments in the present status quo.
3.
There was also a great deal of common ground between the original draft of the section of the Planning Paper dealing with Hong Kong's domestic policies and your second Despatch. Inevitably there were bound to be differences in emphasis reflecting the different pressures on both sides and we have used the material you have provided
to narrow the gap where possible and, where not, to point up
the issues.
SECRET
14.
睾
L
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