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4. HUANG HUA WAS LESS FORTHCOMING BUT ALSO
APPEARED TO BE TEMPORISING. HE RAISED THE QUESTION OF OFFICIAL CHINESE REPRESENTATION IN HONG KONG ( ON WHICH
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I AM REPORTING SEPARATELY) BUT THIS WAS IN THE CONTEXT
IMMIGRATION, AND APPEARED TO BE PART OF HIS ORIGINAL
BRIEF RATHER THAN A REACTION TO WHAT HAD BEEN SAID EARLIER
TO DENG ABOUT LEASES.
5. WE THUS FINISHED THE DAY BY HAVING PUT
TO THE CHINESE THE GENERAL SCHEME OF WHAT WE PROPOSED TO DO ABOUT LEASES, INDICATING THAT IT DOES NOT CONFLICT WITH THEIR POSITION ON HONG KONG AND THAT NO ACTION IS REQUIRED ON THEIR PART. AS MIGHT BE EXPECTED, THE REACTION IS NOT ABSOLUTELY CLEAR. THERE HAS BEEN NO IMMEDIATE NEGATIVE RESPONSE. LIAO, WHEN GIVEN AN OPPORTUNITY TO SIGNAL THAT WE WERE ON
THE WRONG LINES, DID NOT DO SO. HUANG, ON THE OTHER HAND, WAS MORE CAUTIOUS.
6. WE MUST NOW GIVE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR WHAT HAS BEEN SAID TO SINK IN. I DO NOT THINK THAT ANY IMMEDIATE FOLLOW-UP ACTION IS REQUIRED. MY INITIAL VIEW, AND THAT OF THE GOVERNOR, IS THAT WE SHOULD NOW LET THE MATTER REST FOR A LITTLE WHILE. WHEN WE ARE READY FOR THE NEXT STEP IT MAY BE ENOUGH TO INFORM THE CHINESE OF WHAT WE INTEND TO DO AND WHEN. BUT DETAILED DECISIONS ON FURTHER TACTICS CAN BE TAKEN AT THE TIME. MEANWHILE, IF THE CHINESE ARE GOING TO REACT STRONGLY AGAINST THE ACTION WE ARE CONSIDERING TAKING, WE CAN PROBABLY EXPECT TO PICK UP SIGNALS DURING THE COMING WEEKS.
7.
THE GOVERNOR HAS SEEN AND AGREED THIS AND MY IPT.
CRADOCK
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