TNAG-1166-FCO40-1446-Future-of-Hong-Kong-1982 — Page 137

FCO40 Hong Kong Department Records 聯邦事務部香港部檔案 All

Orjinal at:

∙Mick 026/3

13

This Capy for

Infen when only / Marin

Paro(a)

OR 34

нии оно RESTRICTED

3

PA

RESTRICTED

F PEKING 361203Z JAN 82

14 JAN 02

M1212

TO IMMEDIATE F C O

TELNO 18 OF 6 JANUARY

AND TO GOVERNOR HONG KONG.

FOLLOWING FOR NEWS DEPT FROM WESTBRO OK

LPS'S VISIT: PRESS CONFERENCE

Pas 14/1

दिन

MR ATKINS SAW THE BRITISH PRESS THIS EVENING AND ALSO GAVE AN INTERVIEW TO THE PEKING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER, THE CHINA DAILY.

PRIME MINISTERS VISIT

'R ATKINS SAID HE HAD TOLD THE CHINESE MRS THATCHER WOULD BE DE

FLIGHTED TO ACCEPT THEIR INVITATION TO VISIT CHINA AT DATES TO BE DECIDED BETWEEN 16 AND 29 SEPTEMBER.

HICK

THE LPS FOLLOWED THE LINE IN PARAGRAPH A OF YOUR TEL 975 TO HONG

YONG AND ADDED THAT HIS UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THE CHINESE HAD

SAID TO HIM WAS THAT IN ADDRESSING THE PROBLEM OF HONG KONG THEY

HOULD TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THE PROSPERITY OF HONG KONG AS A

FREE PORT AND VERY LARGE COMERCIAL CENTRE. MR ATKINS CONFIRMED THAT CHINESE REASSURANCES ABOUT INVESTMENT IN HONG KONG HAD BEEN REPEATED THOUGH. NOT IN PRECISELY THE WORDS USED DURING LORD CARRINGTON'S VISIT AND SAID NO DATES HAD BEEN FIXED FOR A

CONSIDERATION OF CONCRETE PROPOSALS. THERE WERE STILL MORE THAN 15 YEARS TO GO AND CONFIDENCE IN HONG YONG REMAINED HIGH. IN

ANSWER TO CUESTIONS, MR ATKINS SAID HE THOUGH THE CHINESE UNDERSTOOD THAT SOMETHING WOULD HAVE TO BE DONE IN THE NEXT 5 OR 6 YEARS OR CONFIDENCE WOULD SEGIN TO SLIP.

AIR SERVICES

MR ATKINS CONFIRMED THAT A REVIEW OF THE UK-PRC AIR SERVICES ARRANGEMENTS WAS DUE IN THE SPRING, THOUGH DATES HAD YET TO BE FIYED. IT WAS TIME TO ACHIEVE A BETTER BALANCE ON SERVICES BETWEEN

HONG KONG AND CHINESE CITIES.

(279

1981

RESTRICTED

HONG KONG

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