TNAG-0943-FCO40-1162-Future-of-Hong-Kong-1980 — Page 166

АКК оної

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY NO. 51

27 MAY 1980

DESK OF ICLA

INDEX

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UNCLASSIFIED NO RITER

FM HONG KONG-240415

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

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யது

TELEGRAM NUMBER 677 OF 24 MAY

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TOP COPY

INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING ROUTINE HONG KONG GOVT OFFICE LONDON

MR CALLAGHAN'S PRESS CONFERENCE IN HONG KONG.

AT AN AIRPORT PRESS CONFERENCE PRIOR TO HIS RETURN TO LONDON,

MR CALLAGHAN GAVE HIS IMPRESSIONS OF HIS RECENT TWELVE DAY VISIT

TO CHINA.

DURING THE CONFERENCE, HE WAS ASKED WHETHER THE QUESTION OF

THE LEASE OF HONG KONG WAS DISCUSSED. THE TEXT OF HIS REPLY WAS

AS FOLLOWS QUOTE:

そし

YES I DID RAISE THIS QUESTION AND IT WAS DISCUSSED. I FOUND

THEM RELAXED ABOUT IT. CLEARLY THEY HAVE THEIR PRINCIPALLED

APPROACH TO THIS QUESTION BUT THERE WAS NO SENSE OF TENSION ON

THEIR PART NOR HAVE THEY GOT IT IN THE FRONT OF THEIR MINDS OR ON

THE AGENDA. THEY HAVE OTHER INTERNAL PROBLEMS OF VERY GREAT MOMENT THAT THEY REGARD, I THINK, AS DEMANDING THEIR DAY TO DAY

ATTENTION RATHER THAN THE PROBLEM OF THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG.

BUT I WAS GIVEN TO UNDERSTAND THAT VERY CLEARLY THEY THOUGHT A SOLUTION WOULD BE WORKED OUT AND THEY CERTAINLY EMPHASISED TO ME

THAT THEY WANTED INVESTORS IN HONG KONG TO FEEL REASSURED THAT ANY SOLUTION THAT WAS WORKED OUT WOULD TAKE THEIR INTERESTS FULLY INTO ACCOUNT. THEY SEE THE VALUE OF HONG KONG AS MUCH AS ANYONE ELSE DOES AND I WOULD GUESS THAT WHEN THE TIME COMES FOR DISCUSSIONS

IT OUGHT TO BE POSSIBLE TO REACH AN AGREEMENT UNQUOTE.

IN ANSWER TO A QUESTION ON THE TIMING OF SUCH DISCUSSIONS, MR CALLAGHAN SAID QUOTE THERE WAS NO INDICATION FROM THEM BUT THERE WOULD HAVE TO BE DISCUSSIONS WITHIN TWO OR THREE YEARS, BUT I

WOULDN'T PUT IT ON THE FRONT BURNER YET IF I WAS HONG KONG.

I THINK IT SHOULD REMAIN ON THE BACK BURNER FOR THE TIME BEING

AND IT SHOULD BE TAKEN ALONG AT A FAIRLY RELAXED PACE REMEMBERING

THAT THEY HAVE MANY OTHER PROBLEMS UNQUOTE.

MR CALLAGHAN'S REMARKS HAVE RECEIVED PROMINENT COVERAGE IN BOTH

THE ENGLISH AND CHINESE PRESS. AT THIS STAGE THERE HAVE BEEN

NO FOLLOW UP QUERIES OR COMMENT.

MACLEHOSE

FILES

нкая

FED

OID

IPD

NEWS)

PS PS/LPS

PS / MR BLAKER PS/PUS

SiRD MAITLAND

MR MURRAY

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