GR$ 300
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FM HONG KONG 1809182 MAR 81
TO IMMEDIATE F C O
TELEGRAM NUMBER 301 OF 18 MAR
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING
PERSONAL FOR DONALD AUSS
FROM GOVERNOR
63
TOP COPY
HICK
040/1
RECEIVED IN RESISTRY NO. 51
19 MAR 1981
DECK OFFICER
INDEX
YOUR TELNO 249: PRESS LINE ON THE FUTURE
PA
$233.
REGISTRY Action Takan
ON THE MAIN PART OF THE FORMULA IN PARA 3 I SUGGEST THE
FOLLOWING ADDITIONS:
(1) ADD AFTER SECOND SENTENCE ''RELATIONS BETWEEN US OVER HONG KONG ARE AT PRESENT EXCELLENT, PROBABLY BETTER THAN THEY HAVE EVER BEEN BEFORE. WITHIN THIS FRAMEWORK WE SHALL
NATURALLY REVIEW ETC''.
(11) ALTER END OF PRESENT THIRD SENTENCE TO READ **WAYS IN
WHICH PROSPERITY AND CONFIDENCE IN HONG KONG CAN BE MAINTAINED AND STRENGTHENED’*.
2. IF THE S OF S IS PRESSED, AS HE IS BOUND TO BE, ON TALKS ABOUT THE FUTURE, ANYTHING LESS THAN A STRAIGHT
NEGATIVE WILL LEAD TO SPECULATION. I SUGGEST HE SHOULD BRUSH THE QUESTION ASIDE BY SAYING: ''I DONT EXPECT THIS
TO COME UP. IN ANY CASE THE CRUX OF THE MATTER IS OUR MUTUAL
INTEREST IN MAINTAINING THE ECONOMIC GROWTH AND INDUSTRIAL
DEVELOPMENT OF HONG KONG''.
3. IF HE IS PRESSED ON LAND LEASES, I SUGGEST HE SHOULD
- SAY: ''IT WOULD BE A MISTAKE TO FOCUS ON A SINGLE ITEM
OF THIS SORT. OUR MUTUAL INTERESTS IN HONG KONG COVER A FAR WIDER RANGE OF MATTERS'',
4. I THINK HE SHOULD ALSO HAVE A DEFENSIVE LINE ON
CONFIDENCE EBBING BECAUSE OF THE LEASE. SOMETHING ON THE
LINES: ''CONFIDENCE IN HONG KONG AT PRESENT IS HIGH. ONE
ONLY HAS TO LOOK AT THE REMARKABLE FIGURES OF CONSISTENTLY
HIGH ECONOMIC GROWTH OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS TO SEE THIS.
MAJOR ELEMENTS IN THIS CONFIDENCE ARE THE POLICIES NOW BEING A ADOPTED IN CHINA AND OUR OWN EXCELLENT RELATIONS WITH
THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT''.
MACLEHOSE
LIMITED
HK&GD
FED
NEWS D
SIRE YOUDE MR DONALD
SECRET
bu
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