TNAG-1168-FCO40-1448-Future-of-Hong-Kong-1982 — Page 64

GR 150

SECRET

SECRET

Ник

040/1

113

FM PEKING 120740Z MAR 82

TO PRIORITY F C O

TELNO 152 OF 12 MARCH

Ais

INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG (PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR).

MY TELMO 149:

COMMENT

109

877.3 1₤60023131

FS'S CALL ON GU MU: FUTURE OF HONG KONG

1. THIS WAS A USEFUL MEETING. THE FS WAS ABLE TO SPEAK CLEARLY

ABOUT THE DANGER POSED BY 1997 IN HIS OWN SPECIAL FIELD, GU MU DID NOT BRIDLE AT THE WARNING THAT THERE COULD BE LESS THAN THREE YEARS LEFT BEFORE A CRISIS OF CONFIDENCE. INDEED SPEAKING WITH APPARENT AUTHORITY, HE SAID THAT HE ''ENTIRELY UNDERSTOOD THE PROBLEM''. HE DID NOT SAY, AS HAS BEEN THE TENDENCY UNTIL RECENTLY, THAT THERE WERE STILL FIFTEEN YEARS LEFT UNTIL 1997. FURTHERMORE HE VOLUNTEERED THE POINT THAT PEOPLE IN HONG KONG

WERE ANXIOUS FOR A ''CONCRETE SOLUTION'' SOON.

2. THIS IS ENCOURAGING AND SUGGESTS THAT THE CHINESE MAY BE IN A POSITION TO TAKE MATTERS AT LEAST A LITTLE FURTHER BY THE TIME OF

THE PRIME MINISTER'S VISIT.

CRADOCK

See (119)

LIMITED

COPIES TO:

HEAD/HK & GD

SIR E YOUDE

HEAD/FED

PS

C/O HK & GD

PS/LPS

PS/PUS

MR GIFFARD

MR DONALD

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