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FM FCO 251630Z APR 80
TO PRIORITY HONG KONG
TELEGRAM NUMBER 340 OF 25 APRIL
INFO SAVING PEKING
PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR FROM MURRAY.
YOUR TEL NO 549: NEW TERRITORIES LEASES.
1. YOUR DISCUSSION WITH PERCY CRADOCK WILL FORM THE BASIS OF OUR SUBMISSION TO MINISTERS. WE MUST ACCEPT THAT PRESSURE FROM COMMERCIAL INTERESTS WILL BUILD UP: MOREOVER IT WAS AGREED DURING HUA GUOFENG'S VISIT THAT THE SECRETARY OF STATE AND HUANG HUA SHOULD KEEP IN TOUCH. IT WOULD THUS BE DIFFICULT FOR LORD CARRINGTON TO IGNORE THE ISSUE DURING HIS VISIT TO PEKING AND
NONE OF US ENVISAGES THIS. OUR OBJECTIVE MUST BE TO AVOID ANOTHER REBUFF, AND PRELIMINARY SOUNDINGS WILL BE ESSENTIAL. WE AGREE THAT CRADOCK SHOULD PROBABLY SPEAK IN PEKING BEFORE HIS
DEPARTURE ON LEAVE. WE WOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR YOUR JOINT VIEWS
ON THE NATURE AND TIMING OF THIS AND ANY ACTION WITH NCNA.
2. CLEARLY WE NEED TO CONSIDER WHETHER WE CAN DO MORE TO CONVINCE THE CHINESE THAT THERE IS A PRACTICAL PROBLEM OVER
LEASES AND THAT IT IS IN THEIR INTEREST AS WELL AS OURS TO SOLVE IT.
WE ARE AGREED ON A POSSIBLE ROLE FOR HADDON-CAVE (PARAGRAPH
14 OF YOUR LETTER OF 22 FEBRUARY). WOULD THERE ALSO BE MERIT IN
BRIEFING SIR Y K KAN TO SPEAK TO THE GUANGDONG AUTHORITIES IN
SIMILARLY LIMITED TERMS IN MAY?
3. ON SUBSTANCE, I AGREE THAT WE SHOULD CONCENTRATE ON THE
LEASES QUESTION AND NOT AT THIS STAGE SEEK ANY UNDERSTANDING FROM
THE CHINESE ON CONTINUED BRITISH ADMINISTRATION. THERE IS MUCH
TO BE SAID FOR THE STEP-BY-STEP APPROACH OUTLINED IN PARAGRAPHS
9-13 OF YOUR LETTER. HOWEVER CRADOCK'S COMMENTS CONFIRM MY OWN
THINKING THAT YOUR PARAGRAPH 11 IS THE REAL QUANTUM JUMP.
WHETHER PARAGRAPH 12 WOULD FOLLOW OR WHETHER IT WOULD BE SUBSUMED IN THIS IS ONE POINT ON WHICH WE MAY NOT GET OUR IDEAS CLEAR AT THIS STAGE. AT PRESENT. AND SUBJECT TO YOUR JOINT VIEWS WITH
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