SECRET
HKK 040/1
124A)
Sir Murray MacLehose GBE KCMG KCVO
17 November 1978
Government House HONG KONG
119
W(izd
BRITISH POLICY TOWARDS HONG KONG IN THE 1980'S
1.
115
I hope to be able to reply to your letter of 25 October about New Territories leases, if necessary by telegram, in time for your discussion with Percy Cradock on 28 November (your tele- gram number 1310 refers). I have only just seen Cradock's letter of 6 November.
2. In the meantime, I enclose a copy of an outline draft for the more general policy paper which is intended to provide a framework within which decisions can be taken bout the nature and timing of an approach to the Chinese about 1997 and specific- ally the problem of the New Territories leases. You will recall that we had some discussion about the form which this paper might take at an office meeting which you attended on 17 August. We were able to take matters further at a meeting on 21 September at which David Wilson was present. I hope that the resulting draft, which has been approved by the PUS and Lord Goronwy-Roberts will cause you no problems; I do not think I need elaborate on the reasons why Section III has been included.
3.
In consultation with Far Eastern Department we will now flesh out the skeleton and send a more substantive draft to you and to Percy Cradock for comments. The aim will be to get a final ver- sion approved by the FUS's Planning Committee and Ministers well before the Secretary of State visits China and Hong Kong, possibly in the spring of next year.
4. In giving his_approval, Lord Goronwy-Roberts commented "It
the outline draft? could be explosive if it leaked, and I should like to be assured that the Hong Kong end understands this". I have told the Minister of State that he need have no faars on that score.
SECRET
RJT McLaren
Hong Kong and General Department
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.