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The Hong Kong Government have now sought our views on a draft
EXCO paper dealing with the issue. They ask for a telegraphic reply
by 9 January.
Argument
7.
The draft EXCO paper accurately reflects our views and those of
HM Ambassador Peking paragraphs 3 to 8 of the paper. We are
agreed that the disadvantages of the China option heavily outweight
the advantages, particularly because of the problem of sovereignty.
However, I think that paragraph 7 of the EXCO paper records in too much
detail the points in my letter of 30 September which touched on the
fairly delicate question of Hong Kong's future. Although
Sir S Y Chung or other Unofficials might revert to this topic
I think it would be best to leave most of these points out of the
document for EXCO.
8.
If Mr Blaker agrees, the phrase 'at official level' in the
first line of paragraph 8 of the draft paper can be deleted.
9.
A recent development has been the claimed involvement of
the General Administration of Civil Aviation of China (CAAC) in a
German bid for the masterplan consultancy for the Chek Lap Kok site
paragraphs 10 and 11 of the draft paper. The final sentence of
paragrapy 11 needs to be tightened up to make clear, as is stated
in paragraph 12(d), that whilst the Director of Civil Aviation in
Hong Kong may discuss technical matters with CAAC, he must not get
involved in such issues as finance which have major political
implications and on which the FCO should be consulted.
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