TNAG-1136-FCO40-1416-Address-by-Sir-Edward-Youde--Governor-of-Hong-Kong--to-the-L-1982 — Page 21

GR 1300

CONFIDENTIAL

*

CONMIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG 100850Z NOV 82

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELEGRAM NUMBER 1300 OF 10 NOVEMBER

MK12 013/3

FOR CLIFT FROM HADDON-CAVE.

MIPT.

-0

''FUTURE OF HONG KONG'.

12/11

Pm: 12/u

31. UNDERSTANDABLY, FOR IT IS SUCH A VITAL SUBJECT, MANY MEMBERS

DEVOTED A GREAT DEAL OF ATTENTION TO THE QUESTION OF THE FUTURE IN

THEIR INTERVENTIONS IN THE DEBATE. THEY DID SO WITH A STRONG SENSE

OF RESPONSIBILITY, REALISING THAT IT IS ALSO A SENSITIVE SUBJECT. AS MEMBERS BRIGN TO THIS COUNCIL A PROFOUND KNOWLEDGE OF THE

CONCERNS AND ASPIRATIONS OF THIS COMMUNITY, I CAN ASSURE THEM

THAT THEIR ADVICE WILL NOT GO UNHEEDED.

32. AS YOU, SIR, ANNOUNCED IN YOUR ADDRESS, MEETINGS HAVE BEGUN IN PEKING TO FOLLOW UP THE PRIME MINISTER'S DISCUSSIONS WITH

CHINESE LEADERS. I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT THIS DIPLOMATIC ENDEAVOUR REFLECTS, IN DR HO KAM-FAI'S WORDS, THE DESIRE OF THE TWO GOVERNMENTS' TO SETTLE THE HONG KONG ISSUE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE' I AM GRATEFUL FOR THE RESTRAINT SHOWN BY MEMBERS IN RECOGNISING THAT THE TALKS MUST REMAIN CONFIDENTIAL, AND I CAN ASSURE THEM THAT, WHEN THERE IS SOMETHING WHICH CAN BE SAID PUBLICLY ABOUT THE CONTENT OF THE TALKS, OR ABOUT HONG KONG PARTICIPATION IN THEM, ANNOUNCEMENTS WILL BE MADE THOUGH, OF COURSE, EXECUTIVE COUNCIL WILL ALWAYS FIRST BE CONSULTED. IF THE TIMING PERMITS, PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENTS WILL, IF POSSIBLE, FIRST BE MADE IN THIS CHAMBER, FOR I TAKE MR BROWN'S POINT THAT THIS IS THE CORRECT AND PROPER PLACE'

'' FOR DEVELOPMENTS ABOUT THE FUTURE TO BE MADE KNOWN PUBLICLY. IN MR T S LO'S WORDS, THIS COUNCIL WILL HAVE AN IMPORTANT PART TO PLAY IN CHARTING THE COURSE FOR THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG''. 33. MISS DUNN MAINTAINED THAT HONG KONG PEOPLE ACCEPT THAT THE ISSUES TO BE RESOLVED ARE (NECESSARILY) COMPLEX'' AND ARGUED THAT **THEY CAN BE RELIED UPON TO FOLLOW THE COURSE OF THE TALKS..... CALMLY, (NEXT WORD UNDERLINED) PROVIDED THEY FEEL CONFIDENT THAT THEIR INTERESTS AND WISHES ARE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT''. I CAN ASSURE MEMBERS THAT IT WILL BE THE CONSTANT ENDEAVOUR OF HM GOVERNMENT TO DO JUST THAT. MEANWHILE, NOTHING IS TO BE GAINED BY AN UNMERITED CRISIS IN CONFIDENCE, PARTICULARLY IF THE CAUSATIVE FACTORS ARE SPECULATIVE EXPRESSIONS OF PERSONAL VIEWS. ALMOST EVERY DAY, WE READ HEARSAY STORIES IN THE PRESS ABOUT WHAT THE POSITION OF ONE SIDE OR THE OTHER MAY BE, AND SOMETIMES THERE IS MUCH CIRCUMSTANTIAL DETAIL. SUCH STORIES HAVE AN UNSETTLING EFFECT EVEN THOUGH ON OCCASIONS THEY HAVE NO BASIS IN FACT: SO I WOULD CAUTION PEOPLE AGAINST BELIEVING ALL THAT THEY READ OR HEAR. RUMOUR SO OFTEN FEEDS ON ITSELF. TO QUOTE MR SWAINE ''THE DANGER IS THAT PEOPLE WILL WORRY TEMSELVES INTO A CRISIS'': OR, AS DR HO KAM-FAI PUT IT: ''NERVOUSNESS AND PANIC ARE CONTAGIOUS''

CONFIDENTIAL

INE