TNAG-1155-FCO40-1435-Visits-by-Members-of-Parliament-(MPs)-to-Hong-Kong-1982 — Page 88

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4. THERE WAS ALSO SOME HEATED DISCUSSION OF POLITICAL ISSUES

PARTICULARLY OVER DINNER. SIR PETEK EMERY REMAINS CONVINCED THAT SHOULD NEVER HAVE RAISED THE LEASE ISSUE WITH THE CHINESE AND JUST ALLOWED THE SITUATION TO EVOLVE. THE BEST EFFORTS OF

ROBIN MCLAREN AND MYSELF WERE OF NO AVAIL IN THIS RESPECT. ANOTHER MORE CONVENTIONAL THEME WHICH INEVITABLY SURFACED WAS 1AN MIKARDO PROTESTING ABOUT THE LACK OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT IN HONG

KONG, WE SAT HIM OPPOSIT MR STANLEY HO, THE ARCH-CAPITALIST AND MULTI MILLIONAIRE WHO RUNS THE MACAU HYDROFOIL SERVICE. AND OWNS

THE GAMBLING FRANCHISE THERE. STANLEY HO PUT IN A POWERFUL DEFENCE FOR THE PRESENT SYSTEM AND IAN MIKARDO CONFIDED TO ME AFTERWARDS THAT HE HAD LEARNED A GREAT DEAL FROM THAT CONVERSATION.

5. I THINK THAT THE VISIT OF THE SELECT COMMITTEE TO HONG KONG

CAN FAIRLY BE DESCRIBED AS A SUCCESS. THEY WERE PARTICULARLY

WARH ABOUT THE DISCUSSIONS THEY HAD OVER DINNER ON MONDAY AND WITH DILL DORWARD ON TUESDAY. THERE WAS SOME BGRUMBLING ABOUT THE

FACTORY VISITS LAID ON BY THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT (AGREEMENT TO

WHICH HAD BEEN REACHED IN EARLIER DISVUSSION BETWEEN SIR DONALD

KABERRY AND SIR JACK CATER IN LONDON) AND ABOUT THE MTR/KCR/FIRE FIGHTING VISITS. I THINK HOWEVER THAT MOST AT LEAST ENJOYED THÈ

LATTER ALTHOUGH I WAS SURPRISED THAT MORE MEMBERS OF THE SELECT

COMMITTEE DID NOT SEIZE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ASK POINTED QUESTIONS

ACOUT THE PERFORMANCE OF THE BRITISH COMPANIES CONCERNED.

6. 1 SHOULD ALSO MENTION THAT ONE ISSUE WHICH AROSE TOWARDS

THE CAD OF THE VISIT WAS PRESS EXPOSURE. SELECT COMMITTEES

PRECIA NOT TO HOLD PRESS CONFERENCES BUT THERE WAS SOME FEELING

IN HONG KONG THAT FOR 7 MPS TO PASS THROUGH THE TERRITORY AT

THIS CRITICAL TIME WITHOUT MEETING THE PRESS WOULD BE UNFORTUNATE.

IN THE EVENT SIR DONALD KADERRY GAVE A SUITABLY AYUNCULAR RADIO

NTERVIEW ON HIS RETURN THROUGH HONG KONG: THIS WILL, I HIPE,

HAVE SMOOTHED ANY RUFFLED FEATHERS.

7. ON THE NEXT OCCASION THE SELCT COMMITTEE COME HERE !

THINK THAT WE SHOULD WEIGHT THE PROGRAMME IN THE DIRECTION OF MORE

DISCUSSION WITH HONG KONG MANUFACTURERS AND BUSINESSMEN,IN A

SEMINAR ATMOSPHERE AND AWAY FROM VISITS TO FACTORIES. NEANWHILE

I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING THEIR OFFICIAL REPORT.

3. LETTER VERSION OF THIS TELELETTER WITH PROGRAMME ATTACHED

a

WILL REACH DICK CLIFT IN HKGD BY BAG.

SIGNED CHRISTIAN ADAMS

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