TNAG-0851-FCO40-1061-Future-of-Hong-Kong-New-Territories-leases-1979 — Page 101

RS 120A

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and

CONFIDENTIAL * on,

259

VE LOVED IN REGSTRY NO. 5

5 NOV 1979

A

:

CONFIDENTIAL

PESKBY 0301007

FM FCO 021640Z NOV 79

TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

TELEGRAM NUMBER 905 OF 2 NOVEMBER

INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING.

FOR GOVERNOR FROM MC LAREN

1 YOUR TELNO 1543: PREMIER HUA'S VISIT.

INDEX

1. THE PRESS BRIEFING ON 1 NOVEMBER WAS GIVEN BY THE PRIME

MINISTER'S CHIEF PRESS SECRETARY (WHO IS NEW ). HE WAS ASKED

WHETHER THE QUESTIONS OF THE NEW TERRITORIES LEASE AND THE

FUTURE OF HONG KONG WERE DISCUSSED. HE REPLIED THAT THEY HAD

BEEN TOUCHED ON AND THAT CHAIRMAN HUA WAS SYMPATHETIC.

NOTHING WAS SAID ABOUT THE EROSION OF BUSINESS CONFIDENCE.

2. IF THIS IS FOLLOWED UP HERE, WE WILL PLAY IT DOWN AS FAR

AS POSSIBLE, USING THE LINE IN FCO TELNO 871. WE CANNOT NOW

DENY THAT THESE TOPICS CAME UP BUT, IF PRESSED, WILL SAY THAT

WE SIMPLY WANTED HUA TO BE AWARE THAT BOTH HIS AND TENG'S

STATEMENTS ON HONG KONG HAD BEEN NOTED AND APPRECIATED.

CARRINGTON

FILES HKrG D

FED NEWS.D

OID

MR CORTAZZI

MR MURRAY

COPIES то

HONG KONG GOVERNMENT

OFFICE LONDON, WI

CONFIDENTIAL