TNAG-1030-FCO40-1280-Proposed-visit-by-Humphrey-Atkins--Lord-Privy-Seal--to-Hong--1981 — Page 87

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10.

Prime Minister's Visit.

The Prime Minister has provisionally earmarked September 1982 for a visit to China. It is important that

she should be aware of the Hong Kong angle to this visit. There

would be expectations there that she will be seeking a solution to

the problem of the future of Hong Kong. There is considerable

risk that the Chinese would not be prepared to add to their

earlier general assurances. This would bring disillusionment in

Hong Kong and itself affect confidence.

11.

Sovereignty. However, if the Chinese are prepared during

the visit or later on to have talks on Hong Kong, it is likely that

one major concession they would ask for would be British acknowledge-

ment of Chinese sovereignty over the Territory. There are obvious

political difficulties, including implications for other Dependent

Territories, notably the Falkland Islands and Gibraltar.

12. In the case of the Falkland Islands, a lease-back in return

for acknowledgement of Argentine sovereignty has already been

canvassed. On Gibraltar, the Spaniards have so far been demanding

little more than British acknowledgement of their sovereignty although they would see the next step as autonomy under the

Spanish Constitution. The whole idea is anathema to the vast majority of Gibraltarians, who rely on the British pledge that they will not pass under the sovereignty of another State against their freely and democratically expressed wishes. Any move over Hong Kong sovereignty would be watched carefully by the Spanish Government and could thus further complicate HMG's already tricky task in

handling negotiations with them.

13.

There are

These problems should, however, be containable. very important differences between the situation in Hong Kong and Gibraltar. In the first place, there is no question of avoiding change of some sort in 1997 as regards the New Territories. Moreover, there is no specific pledge for Hong Kong comparable

to that made to the Gibraltarians. It is, of course, true that

successive British Governments have reaffirmed their commitment to the people of Hong Kong but the nature of this has not been made clear. This is because of the realities of our position in Hong Kong which would make any undertaking to defend the Territory

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