TNAG-0848-FCO40-1058-Future-of-Hong-Kong-New-Territories-leases-1979 — Page 38

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SECRET

DSR 11C

air services agreement and communications generally. He reiterated the

unacceptability of a Chinese Consulate-General in Hong Kong.

13. In 1974 during a private visit to China by former Prime Minister

Mr Edward Heath, Vice-Premier Deng Xiaoping (Teng Hsiao-p'ing) again raised

the subject during talks on 27 May. Deng assured Mr Heath that the

Chinese Government's motives in this issue were not at all underhand and

that they would never seek to exploit the position of an official repre-

sentative to attain other ends. The question of Chinese representation in

Hong Kong could be further discussed later, said Deng.

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14. The Chinese Ambassador, Song Zhiguang (Sung Chih-kuang) referred to

Deng's assurances to Mr Heath in a conversation with Mr Youde on 28 June

1974. Song insisted, that China had no intention of "creating two

governments" in Hong Kong, and said that a Chinese official representative

in Hong Kong would not be there to cause trouble for the administration.

Rather, a representative, would contribute to the improvement of relations

with Hong Kong, and a number of administrative questions such as those of

direct rail communication between Hong Kong and Guangzhou, a rivér ferry

service and air services could be solved to the advantage of Hong Kong.

15. At the end of a long session of talks in Peking on 5 May 1976 between

the Secretary of State, Mr Crosland, and the Chinese Foreign Minister, Qiao

Guanhua, the latter made a low-key reference to the continuing Chinese wish

to have an official representative in Hong Kong. Qiao recalled the British

Government's view that hitherto the time was not ripe, but wished to raise

it again. Mr Crosland replied that HMG's view had not changed from that

set out in the Aide Mémoire handed to Ji Pengfei in June 1973.

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