TNAG-1168-FCO40-1448-Future-of-Hong-Kong-1982 — Page 104

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GR 165

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG Ø581552 MAR 82

TO PRIORITY F C O

CONFIDENTIAL

нни охор

04011

TELEGRAM NUMBER 219 OF 5 MARCH

X

INFO PRIORITY PEKING

at Again?

(102)

FOR CLIFT FROM GOVERNOR

1. I UNDERSTAND FROM SIR Y K PAO HE WILL BE SEEING THE S OF S

Је

SOON. HE HAS RECENTLY BEEN IN PEKING LEADING AN INTERTANKO GROUP. See 2

HE SAW ZAO ZIYANG, GU MU AND LIAO CHENG ZHI.

2. HE WILL PRESS THE S OF S TO REISSUE IN MORE POSITIVE TERMS THE

INVITATION TO GU MU TO VISIT THE UK IN MAY. HE BELIEVES THIS WOULD BE A USEFUL LEAD INTO THE PRIME MINISTER'S VISIT AND AN OPPORTUNITY TO DRAW GU MU ON HONG KONG AND ITS ECONOMIC SIGNIFICANCE TO CHINA (OF COURSE PAO IS ALSO INTERESTED IN HAVING GU MU'S WIFE LAUNCH A SHIP)

3. SUBJECT TO THE VIEWS OF HMA SUGGEST THIS PROPOSAL WORTH RECONSIDERING.

4. PAO ALSO SPOKE WITH HAN KEHUA, FORMER CHINESE AMBASSADOR IN PARIS, WHO CONDUCTED THE RECOGNITION NEGOTIATIONS WITH PORTUGAL, NOW VICE MINISTER AT MFA AND DIRECTOR OF TOURIST BUREAU, PAO ASKED

HIM HOW THE QUESTION OF MACAU HAD BEEN HANDLED, AND HAN KEHU A REPLIED THAT THE QUESTION OF CHINESE SOVEREIGNTY HAD BEEN VITAL. THIS TENDS TO CONFIRM OUR VIEW THAT THE CHINESE WILL ATTACH SIMILAR IMPORTANCE TO IT IN ANY TALKS ABOUT THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG.

MACLEHOSE

LIMITED

COPIES TO:

HK & GD

FED

MR GIFFARD

MR DONALD

COD adured that

Feed one lead Aço 5/3

SIR E YOUDE

CONFIDENTIAL