TNAG-1031-FCO40-1281-Visits-by-Sir-Murray-MacLehose--Governor-of-Hong-Kong--to-th-1981 — Page 107

DSA 11C

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Secretary has announced provision for possible assis-

tance to Hong Kong first degree students in his recent

Budget. The Secretary of State will wish to find out

if there is any other way HMG can help. (Brief No 6).

c) Renegotiation of the Multi-Fibre Arrangement (MFA).

The Secretary of State will be pressed hard in Hong

Kong to ensure that Hong Kong textile exports to the EC

will not be further restricted under the renegotiated

MFA. This is in line with current Ministerial

thinking though it would not be appropriate to say

so since HMG's final position is not yet agreed.

(Brief No 7).

5. The relatively slow rate of resettlement of Vietnamese

refugees and the full utilisation of the existing UK resettle-

ment quota cause problems for Hong Kong. Lord Carrington

and a possible further quota discussed this /with the Governor on 10 March (Brief No 8).

6. The Governor will wish to discuss the handling of Hong

Kong issues in Lord Carrington's talks with Chinese leaders,

in particular:

a) the need to find an early solution to the problem of

land leases in the New Territories if confidence is to

be maintained (Brief No 10). Much will depend on

whether the Chinese wish to discuss this in any depth;

signs are that they do not.

b) how to respond to a Chinese request for an official

representative in Hong Kong (Brief No 11). This could

pose difficulties, especially if riased in isolation.

It may be linked with:

c) problems over the opening of a Chinese Visa Office

in Hong Kong ( Brief No 12). We are still at odds

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