TNAG-1154-FCO40-1434-Visits-by-Members-of-Parliament-(MPs)-to-Hong-Kong-1982 — Page 279

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06 MAR 982

TELELETTER TO HONG KONG/PEKING

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PERSONAL

TELELETTER

FROM R D CLIFT, HONG KONG AND GENERAL DEPARTMENT

FILE REFERENCE HKK 026/2 DATED 29 MARCH 1982

FOLLOWING PERSONAL FOR SIR MURRAY MACLEHOSE GBE KCMG KCVO,

GOVERNOR AND COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF, HONG KONG

RFI SIR PERCY CRADOCK KCMG PEKING

MR HEATH'S VISIT TO FAR EAST: FUTURE OF HONG KONG

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1. YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT THE SECRETARY OF STATE WROTE TO MR HEATH

LAST WEEK TO GIVE HIM A GENERAL STEER ON THE KIND OF LINE WE ARE

CURRENTLY TAKING ON THE FUTURE. HE ENCLOSED THE TEXT OF THE PRESS

CONFERENCE THE LPS GAVE IN HONG KONG ON 10 JAN.

2. HE EXPLAINED THAT:

A) WE WERE LOOKING CLOSELY AT THE QUESTION:

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B) WE WERE AWARE THAT CONCERN IN HONG KONG WAS GROWING AND THAT

WE WOULD OF COURSE TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE INTERESTS OF THE

PEOPLE THERE:

C) ALTHOUGH BOTH SIDES WERE LOOKING AT THE QUESTION ALL OPTIONS

WERE BEING KEPT OPEN AND NO-ONE WAS EXPECTING SUDDEN

DEVELOPMENTS:

D) OUR MAIN INTEREST AT THIS STAGE WAS TO ENSURE THAT THE

CHINESE UNDERSTOOD THE IMPORTANCE OF MAINTAINING CONFIDENCE:

E) IT WOULD BE UNFORTUNATE AT THIS STAGE TO GIVE ANY

IMPRESSION THAT THE PRIME MINISTER'S VISIT WAS LIKELY TO

PRODUCE A SOLUTION.

3. THE SECRETARY OF STATE EXPRESSED THE HOPE THAT MR HEATH WOULD

TREAD CAREFULLY AND FEEL ABLE TO STICK GENERALLY TO THIS LINE,

PARTICULARLY IN CONTACTS WITH THE MEDIA. HE MENTIONED THAT

YOU AND PERCY CRADOCK WOULD BE VERY READY TO HELP.

SIGNED R D CLIFT

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