TNAG-0945-FCO40-1164-Future-of-Hong-Kong-1980 — Page 61

CONFIDENTIAL

4. EXCEPT FOR THE POINT IN 2(111) ABOVE ABOUT RESPECTING TREATIES,

AND ALLOWING FOR SOME JOURNALISTIC LICENCE, THERE IS NOTHING REMARKABLE ABOUT ZAHO'S REMARKS. BUT IT IS SURPRISING THAT A RELATIVELY JUNIOR OFFICIAL SHOULD HAVE MADE THEM FOR PUBLICATION (IF HE KNEW THIS WOULD HAPPEN).

5. SUBJECT TO YOUR VIEWS, WE DO NOT THINK ANYTHING IS TO BE GAINED BY PEKING PROBING FURTHER INTO THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE ARTICLES. WE WOULD HOWEVER BE INTERESTED IN ANY BACKGROUND ON ZHAO

AND THE FUNCTIONS OF HIS BUREAU,

6. FULL TEXTS OF ARTICLES FOLLOW BY BAG.

MACLEHOSE

LIMITED

HK & GD FED

NEWS D PS

PS/LPS

PS/MR RIDLEY

PS/MR BLAKER

PS/PUS

SIR E YOUDE

MR DONALD

MR HARDING

LORD NG LENNOX

[THIS TELEGRAM WAS NOT ADVANCED]

2 -

CONFIDENTIAL