TNAG-0843-FCO40-1053-Visit-of-Lord-Carrington--Secretary-of-State-for-Foreign-and-1979 — Page 38

CONFIDENTIAL

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There will also be a press conference before departure.

DISCUSSIONS WITH THE GOVERNOR

4. Discussions on Vietnamese refugees (Brief No 3) and immigration

(Brief No 4) are likely to be mainly a question of bringing the

Secretary of State up to date on the situation in Hong Kong and

the measures being taken by the Hong Kong Government.

5.

On reinforcement (Brief No 5) the Governor may want to discuss

possible improvements in the package which has now been announced.

He may also seek the Secretary of State's support on the question

of costs. The 1975 Defence Costs Agreement provides for the costs

of the garrison to be shared, with the Hong Kong Government paying

75 percent, but the Ministry of Defence are taking the line that

Hong Kong should pay the whole cost of the reinforcements being

provided. We think this is unreasonable.

6. As HM Ambassador in Peking will be coming to Hong Kong for

the Secretary of State's visit it would be very useful to devote

some time to discussion of the New Territories leases issue. A

fairly full brief has therefore been provided (Brief No 6).

MEETING WITH THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL

7. The Executive Council is the senior advisory body in the Colony,

consisting of 5 ex-officio members and 9 appointed members, 8 of

Brief personality notes on the members are pro-

them unofficial.

vided (Brief No 11).

8. The Governor has suggested that the Secretary of State might

open the meeting with a short statement (a draft is attached

Brief No 7) and thereafter answer questions, some of which are

/likely

CONFIDENTIAL