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China last April. He gave Ji notice that he would also
wish to discuss Hong Kong with Premier Zhao Ziyang the next
day. Ji agreed that it was an important question: the
Chinese were now thinking of studying it. A decision could
not wait until 1997. There could be talks about Hong Kong
in the future.
7.
Premier Zhao Ziyang was brisk and confident and
seemed to me to have grown considerably in stature since
our last extended meeting with him during your visit. He
confirmed that Mrs Thatcher would be a most welcome visitor
to China and said the dates for her visit should be discussed
through diplomatic channels. He asked Mr Atkins to reciprocate
Mrs Thatcher's greetings; and to convey his regards to you.
After some discussion of the growing practical co-operation
between Hong Kong and Guangdong Province, Zhao himself raised
the question of the future of Hong Kong. He recalled that you
had told him last April that property owners in Hong Kong
were concerned about the future and repeated Vice Premier Ji's
statements that there should be discussions "at an appropriate
time". I have reported separately the details of the
discussions with Ji Pengfei and Zhao Ziyang on the future
of Hong Kong and I shall not repeat myself in this despatch.
My general impression was that the Chinese had done some
fresh thinking on the subject since your visit last April,
but that this has not yet gone beyond generalities. We
must now encourage them to get down to studying the matter
in detail, and talking to us about it, in the very near future.
je. .
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