TNAG-0830-FCO40-1038-Extension-of-term-of-office-of-Sir-Murray-MacLehose--Governo-1979 — Page 39

нка 431 /393/6

2 0 MAR 1979

D

GR 130

UNCLASSIFIED

واحد

! D.P. 3/3

Аккор

RECEIVED IN REGIONY RQ. 51

19 MARI

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FM HONG KONG 170625Z MAR

TO IMMEDIATE F.C.0.

TELEGRAM NUMBER 389 OF 17 MARCH, 1979.

FOLLOWING FOR MCLAREN, HK AND GD.

1. SCMP THIS MORNING CARRIES AN ARTICLE FROM ITS LONDON

CORRESPONDENT DATED 16 MARCH SAYING THAT AN ANNOUNCEMENT IS

EXPECTED ''IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE'' THAT THE GOVERNOR IS TO

HAVE HIS TERM EXTENDED FOR ANOTHER YEAR.

2. THE ARTICLE SAYS THAT LONDON FEELS THAT ''AT THIS IMPORTANT

STAGE OF RELATIONS BETWEEN CHINA, HONG KONG AND BRITAIN IT IS

IMPORTANT TO HAVE SOMEONE OF THE STATURE OF SIR MURRAY IN CHARGE".

IT ALSO SAYS THAT, SINCE THIS NEWS COMES SHORTLY BEFORE THE GOVERNOR'S VISIT TO CHINA, IT IS ''A CLEAR INDICATION THAT LONDON HAS GIVEN SIR MURRAY A FREE HAND IN HIS DISCUSSIONS WITH THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES AND WILL BE ANXIOUS TO HEAR HIS REPORT''

MACLEHOSE

FILES HK&GD.

FED. NEWS D

MR MUNNAY