TNAG-1157-FCO40-1437-Visits-by-FCO-Ministers-to-Hong-Kong-1982 — Page 29

LORD BELSTEAD: WELL, THERE ARE TWO THINGS I OUGHT TO SAY: THE

FIRST IS, I'M SORRY I MUST REPEAT THAT THE TALKS ARE

CONFIDENTIAL, NOT BECAUSE OF SOME REASON PUT FORWARD BY ANY

PARTICULAR PARTY, BUT BECAUSE THE LEADERS OF THE PEOPLE'S

REPUBLIC AND THE PRIME MINISTER AGREED THAT THE TALKS SHOULD

BE CARRIED ON THROUGH THE DIPLOMATIC CHANNELS, AND THAT MEANS

CONFIDENTIAL TALKS, BUT IT IS WHOLLY REASONABLE YOU SHOULD ASK

THE SORT OF QUESTION YOU HAVE AND IT IS BECAUSE I AM IN FACT

SENSITIVE TO WHAT YOU SAY, THAT I'M PARTICULARLY GLAD TO BE

IN HONG KONG HERE AT THE PRESENT TIME. THE REASON I'M

HERE IS THAT I HAVE THE GENERAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE RELATIONS

BETWEEN LONDON AND HONG KONG UNDER THE FOREIGN SECRETARY IN LONDON:

BUT I'M PARTICULARLY GLAD I HAVE DEEN HERE AT THE MOMENT BECAUSE

ITS MEANT THAT I AND SIR PERCY CRADOCK, OUR AMBASSADOR, HAVE HAD THE

OPPORTUNITY MEET LEGCO, UMELCO AND A GREAT MANY OTHER PEOPLE

BESIDES.

PATRICK MA, RADIO HONG KONG:

HOW SOON DO YOU EXPECT THE HONG KONG

PEOPLE OR THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TO BE HEARD ABOUT THE FORM

OF THE CHINA-BRITISH TALKS OF THE HONG KONG FUTURE, HOW SOON

DO WE EXPECT

?.

LORD BELSTEAD: WELL AS I SAY, I HAVE BEEN ABLE DURING THE LAST

FIVE DAYS, TO HEAR EXPRESSIONS OF VIEW FROM A WHOLE VARIETY OF

PEOPLE HERE IN HONG KONG. THIS I THINK HAS BEEN VERY VALUABLE

SO FAR AS NEGOTIATIONS ARE CONCERNED.

(?) (MALE VOICE)

WHO IS NEGOTIATING ON BRITAIN'S BEHALF ?.

LORD BELSTEAD: SIR PERCY CRADOCK.

(?) ON HIS OWN ?.

LORD BELSTEAD: WELL, SIR PERCY CRADOCK IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE

TALKS BEING CARRIED ON THROUGH THE DIPLOMATIC CHANNELS

(?) WILL HE BE SUPPLEMENTED BY OTHER PEOPLE AS THE TALKS DEVELOP ?.

LORD BELSTEAD: WHAT PARTICULARLY DO YOU HAVE IN MIND ?.

(?) WELL PRESUMABLY, THE GOVERNOR IS GOING TO BE DRAWN IN

AT SOME STAGE ?.

LORD BELSTEAD: THAT I THINK, WILL BE HIGHLY DESIRABLE

MR ROBERTS: THANK YOU, YOU HAVE HAD FOUR QUESTIONS.

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(?)