TNAG-0850-FCO40-1060-Future-of-Hong-Kong-New-Territories-leases-1979 — Page 138

GK 250

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PM F C 0 04162OZ SEP 79

TO PRIORITY HONG KONG

SECRET

TELEGRAM NUMBER 703 OF 4 SEPTEMBER

INFO PRIORITY PEKING

HACK ovoli RECEIVED IN REGISTRY NO. 51

- 5 SEP 1979

DESK OFFICER INDEX

No

PA

185

REGISTRY Acton Take.

1819

FOR GOVERNOR FROM QUANTRILL

See/190

YOUR LETTER OF 30 AUGUST: NEW TERRITORIES LEASES

1. CORTAZZI, MURRAY AND MCLAREN ARE ALL ON LEAVE UNTIL MID-SEPT- EMBER. BUT IN PREVIOUS DISCUSSIONS, WHEN WE ENVISAGED THE SITUA-- TION THAT HAS NOW ARISEN (1.E. NO REPLY FRM CHINESE BY EARLY SEPTEMBER), WE CONCLUDED, LIKE YOU, THAT IT WOULD NOT BE IN OUR INTEREST TO BADGER THE CHINESE FOR A REPLY SIMPLY IN ORDER TO MEET THE 10 OCTOBER DEADLINE. THIS DATE WAS SEEN AS THE MOST SUITABLE OCCASION FOR MAKING THE ANNOUNCEMENT IF ALL THE NECESSARY HURDLES HAD BEEN CLEARED BY THAT TIME, BUT WE NEVER SAW IT AS A DEADLINE TO BE KEPT TO AT ALL COSTS. WE RECOGNISED THAT IT COULD

BE COUNTER-PRODUCTIVE IF WE WERE TO TRY TO HUSTLE THE CHINESE INTO GIVING A REPLY BEFORE THEY WERE READY. AND WE CERTAINLY NEVER ENVISAGED GOING AHEAD IN THE ABSENCE OF ANY CHINESE REPLY.

༣

2. SUBJECT TO ANY VIEWS OF THE EMBASSY IN PEKING THEREFORE, IT FOLLOWS THAT WE AGREE WITH CONCLUSIONS A), B) AND C) IN YOUR PARA 7, AND PROBABLY D) AND E), THOUGH I WOULD PREFER TO WAIT UNTIL THE OTHERS HAVE RETURNED FROM LEAVE BEFORE CONFIRMING THAT

WE HAVE NO OBJECTION TO YOUR GOING AHEAD AS PROPOSED, RICHARD

SAMUEL CONCURS.

CARRINGTON

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