TNAG-0753-FCO40-957-Future-of-Hong-Kong-1978 — Page 100

SECRET

HKK OLO/1

(102)

Mr Murray

BRITISH POLICY TOWARDS HONG KONG IN THE 1980's

1.

You have agreed to chair a meeting at 3pm on 21 September

to consider the general lines of a broad policy paper about the future of Hong Kong.

2. I attach a skeleton draft. This is based upon the draft which I submitted in preparation for our meeting with Sir Murray MacLehose on 17 August. I have expanded it considerably to take account of points made by Mr Cortazzi when I showed him a slightly revised version of the original draft.

3. In drafting the outline I have assumed that the purpose of the paper is to establish a framework within which decisions can be taken about the nature and timing of an approach to the Chinese about 1997. We might discuss that assumption at the outset, and then see if my outline draft meets the requirement (you may think a more fundamental reexamination is needed). we can agree on an outline it would then be useful to consider how best the Political Adviser and the Embassy in Peking might help in the drafting process.

If

20 September 1978

Cc:

Mir Samuel, FED

(two copies)

Dr Wilson

(c/o HKGD)

Mr Cornish, Planning Staff

(for information)

SECRET

Ingven

RJT McLaren

Hong Kong and General Department