TNAG-1168-FCO40-1448-Future-of-Hong-Kong-1982 — Page 83

THE REFORM CLUB OF HONG KONG

801 FU HING BUILDING,

10 JUBILEE STREET,

HONG KONG.

TEL.: 5-450001

HKCD For advice (108A)

arafr sply plae

REFORM

KONG B

ILPS

FED

Lord Carrington, ...

Foreign Secretary,

Foreign and Commonwealth Office,

Downing Street,

SWl, London,

England.

11th March, 1982.

ник

HRR 040/1

Dear Lord Carrington,

ник

Hier 040/1

(250

1981

ifas 2613

See 13+

I am grateful for the letter dated the 26th November 1981 written on your behalf by your private secretary, Mr. R.M. J. Lyne, in reply to my letter in November 1981. Our Club has appointed a reputable international survey company to perform an opinion poll on the future of Hong Kong after 1997, which I understand will be completed by the end of March 1982 and our Club intends to form a delegation to visit your Lordship with a a view to presenting the report of the opinion poll for your Lordship's consideration. The delegation will most probably stay in London for four to five days commencing from 19th April 1982. I shall be indeed very grateful if your Lordship would kindly direct your private secretary to give a date of appointment to meet the delegation during its stay in London so that the report of the opinion poll could be presented to your Lordship personally and I can assure you my Lord such presentation would not take more than 15 minutes.

Incidentally may I enclose herewith a newspaper clipping dated the 15th December 1981 in which our Club informed the press that our proposal had been sent to the top Chinese leaders including Vice-Chairman of the Chinese Communist Party Mr. Deng Xiaoping; subsequently on 20th January 1982 a report was made by the Agence France Presse, that among other things, China hoped to resolve the problem of Hong Kong's future so as to ensure a continued British presence while not jeopardising its own sovereignty, according to a high-ranking Chinese diplomat who hinted at the possibility of transforming Hong Kong into a free port, a copy of the clipping is also enclosed herewith for your Lordship's attention.

FC/fl

Encs.

Yours faithfully

FanCalchis

Francis Chaine, Chairman,

223

236

cot,

1981

Hong Kong Future Ad Hoc Committee, Reform Club of Hong Kong.