布政司署
香港下亞畢道
TSX1/78
本署檔號 OUR REF.:
* YOUR REF.:
HK K040/2
SECRET
65
GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT
LOWER ALBERT ROAD
HONG KONG
6 July, 1978
RJT McLaren Esq
Hong Kong & General Department F CO
dear Joss
THE CHINA DIMENSION-
Ake oud/1..
INDEX
*** 1973
*
7
Teman
No bis
J
Thank you for your letter of 20 June asking about progress on the paper about the "China Dimension".
2.
When your letter arrived we had completed a paper on the lines John Stewart had discussed with me and were just about to send it to Peking for their comments. The paper discussed in general terms China's present and likely future policy towards Hong Kong; some of the implications of this for domestic policy making; and the nature and timing of decisions about the Lease. It did not, however, go into a detailed consideration of how to deal with the last point.
P
{
3.
Your letter made it clear that you would really prefer a paper which dealt more specifically with the question of the Lease. This ties in with the commitment which the Governor had already made to put forward suggestions on this subject before he finally leaves Hong Kong.
The Governor therefore decided that we would concentrate on updating section 4 of the 1976 Planning Paper and add some preliminary thoughts on the question of how to deal with legal aspects of continuing land leases in the New Territories beyond 1997 and how to approach the Chinese on the subject. His letter to you on this subject will be in the same bag as this letter of mine. I would like to emphasise the point made in the Governor's letter that the detailed legal thinking about land leases is still at a very early stage. Our intention is to float the idea and put up a cockshy draft rather than suggest that we have found the perfect legal formula.
4.
A copy of the Governor's letter has, as you will see, also gone to Percy Cradock in Peking for his comments. Mean- while I am also sending him a copy of this letter, together with yours to me of 20 June.
With beat Wike,
ere
CC RC Samuel Esq (FED FCO)
HE Mr P Cradock CMG (PÉKING)
(D C Wilson)
SECRET
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