Mr Donald
Mn 0. j
L
i8
SECRET
HKK 026/9
051
VISIT TO HONG KONG: 10- 23 MAY 1981
GENERAL IMPRESSIONS
Nationality Bill
ملل
£3.6. 4.
37
Ser
3404
NGA M
HK.
1. In many ways this issue overshadowed my visit although in practice
action was held up until the very end of my stay whilst the problem was
being considered in London. In the event, I had a tough session with
UMELCO on 22 May. My task was confined to general reassurances because
I had agreed with the Governor that it was for him to put to the Unoffi-
cials the arguments on the problems of 'UK Nationals' etc which had just
been received by telegram. In the event, the latest telegrams from
Hong Kong suggest that the Governor has succeeded in cooling a good deal
of the Unofficials' immediate anger but it would be wrong to suppose
that the whole issue will not be held against us as part of the general
suspicion of British attitudes in the light of the 1997 problem (see
below).
Future of Hong Kong
2. The main impression of the visit was that 1997 is now the first
topic raised with any visitor not only by Unofficials but by businessmen
and a wide range of middle class people including members of the Hong
Kong Observers. (When I visited Hong Kong 6 months ago the issue was
certainly highly topical but was probably No 2 or 3 on most peoples
list.) The reasons for the worry are various. To an extent the issue
has been played up by the press and exaggerated expectations were
encouraged of the Secretary of State's visit to Peking in April. There
is the land lease problem and a growing tendency to see 1982 as a key
year because of the 15 year mortgages. (In fact, as the Governor has
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