TNAG-0752-FCO40-956-Future-of-Hong-Kong-1979 — Page 257

CONFIDENTIAL

布政司署 港下亞

畢道

本署檔號 OUR REF: TS 7/1162/46 V

來函檔號 YOUR REF.:

RECEIV

GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT

HEK Oyoll.

21 JAN 1977

DESK OFFICIA

LOWER ALBERT ROAD

HONG KONG

17 January, 1978.

See 15

16

J Thompson Esq

Hong Kong & General DepartmentNEX F C D

F

Px

6. Taken

THE CANADIAN EXPORT DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

11. attach 1977pp

Thank you for your letter of 4 January and the copy of the letter from the Canadian Export Development Corporation to our High Commission in Ottawa.

2.

&

I imagine that the answers to questions (1) and (2) are simple and can be provided from London. The answer to (5) follows logically. The answer to (8) is clearly "yes".

3.

As for the other questions, it is almost unbelievably naive that they should be put to us at all. They may perhaps be discussed privately at a very preliminary stage of considering Hong Kong's future, but it is still very odd that they should be asked directly of the government responsible. I doubt if we would ever contemplate asking similar questions of the Canadian Government about the future of Quebec.

4.

Perhaps the most polite thing would be to give factual answers to questions (1), (2), (5) and (8). As for (3), (4) and (7), we could say that HMG has no plans to hand over Hong Kong to China, nor has any such suggestion been made by the Chinese who have indicated clearly that they are at present satisfied with the status quo. We could then add that, since the Export Development Corporation presumably wish to assess the situation from the Canadian point of view, they might find it helpful to consult the Canadian Commissioner in Hong Kong.

CC

(D C Wilson)

P Faulkner Esq OTTAWA

CONFIDENTIAL

eve