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SAID THAT AT THE TIME LORD CARRINGT LEFT LONDON MINISTERS
WERE AGHAST AT THE IDEA OF HAVING TO ADMIT ANYTHING LIKE
10,000 BUT RECOGNISED THAT BRITAINS PROPOSAL FOR A UN
CONFERENCE MADE IT DIFFICULT TO AVOID A RESPECTABLE CONTRIBUTION.
IN TODAYS GUARDIAN, PETER JENKINS (KUALA LUMPUR) QUOTES
LORD CARRINGTON AS SAYING THT THE SIZE OF THE PROBLEM IS
MUCH BIGGER THAN HE HAD SUPPOSED. JENKINS SUGGESTS THAT
CARRINGTON WAS PLAINLY UNHAPPY WITH HIS BRIEF TO STRESS THE
NUMBER OF ASIAN IMMIGRANTS BRITAIN HAD HAD TO ACCEPT FROM
OTHER SOURCES AND SAYS THAT CARRINGTON WILL BE COMING BACK
READY TO ARGUE THAT BRITAIN SHOULD TAKE MORE - A HOT POTATO
FOR NUMBER 10 WHO HAD HAD A HOSTILE POSTBAG AFTER SIBONGA.
AND THIS LINE IS ECHOED IN THE DAILY STAR BY DAVID BUCHAN ALSO
REPORTING FROM KUALA LUMPUR, WHO OPINES THAT THE SECRETARY OF
STATE PERSONALLY WOULD HAVE LOVED TO GIVE A FIRM PLEDGE THAT
BRITAIN WOULD DO MORE BUT 'KNOWS THAT HIS ACCOUNT OF THE HEART-
BREAK IS LIKELY TO BE DISMISSED AS A MERE SOB STORY IN THE
COLD ATMOSPHERE OF THE CABINET ROOM'. JOHN BULLOCH IN
SUNDAYS TELEGRAPH HAS A LESS TENDENTIOUS VERSION (FROM HONG
KONG) SAYING THAT THE FOREIGN SECRETARY DEALT WITH OBVIOUS
CARE WITH THE QUESTION OF THE QUOTA AND WOULD NOT COMMIT
BRITAIN TO ANY PARTICULAR FIGURE.
4. THE FIRST EDITION OF TODAYS EVENING STANDARD HAS A
REPORT FROM MAX HASTINGS IN HONG KONG UNDER A LARGE BANNER
HEADLINE, SAYING THAT HONG KONG IS ASKING BRITAIN TO TAKE
10,000, THAT THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT ARE MOST DISAPPOINTED
WITH THE BRITISH RESPONSE SO FAR AND THAT OFFICIALS IN HONG
KONG ARE DEEPLY PESSIMISTIC.
CARRINGTON
FILES:
NEWS D
SEAD
HKJGD
SAD
PS
PSI LPS
PSI MR BLAKER
SIR.B-DUFF MR MURRAY
MR CORTAZZI
2
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