TNAG-1169-FCO40-1449-Future-of-Hong-Kong-1982 — Page 20

HKK 040/1

RECENTED IN PAYTRE NO. 51

199

GR 240

CONFIDENTIAL

FM PEKING 14037AZ APR 32

TO IMMEDIATE F C O

TELNO 221 OF 14 APRIL.

CONFIDENTIAL

YOUR TELNOS 136, 145 AND 161:

过

JR

INDEX

Twe

Aflo

OUR TELNO 164 WAS REPEATED TO YOU AND HONG KONG UNNUMBERED ON

5 APRIL. HOWEVER, HEREWITH A FURTHER REPEAT:

"TO IPRIORITY FCO

180

180

TELEGRAM NUMBER 164 ́OF 17 MARCH

INFO ROUTINE HONG KONG (PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR)

BRITISH PARLIAMENTARIANS' VISIT TO PEKING: FUTURE OF HONG KONG

1. AT THE BRIEFING I GAVE FOR THE BRITISH PARLIAMENTARY VISITORS ON 13 MARCH, THEY ASKED ABOUT HONG KONG. ('R WHITNEY HAD STUDIED THE STRANSCRIPT OF MR ATKINS' PRESS CONFERENCE IN HONG KONG IN

JANUARY.) | ADVISED AGAINST RAISING THIS WITH THE CHINESE, BUT

THEY WERE DETERMINED TO DO SO.

2. IT WAS THEREFORE AGREED THAT THE BEST APPROACH WOULD BE BRIEFLY

TO REMIND THE CHINESE OF THE NEED FOR AN EARLY SOLUTION. THE

DELEGATION'S LEADER, MR DU CANN, SPOKE IN THESE TERMS TO VICE

PREMIER YAO YILIN ON 13 MARCH. HE SAID IT WOULD BE GOOD IF TALKS

BETWEEN BRITAIN AND CHINA WERE HELD IN VERY GOOD TIME SINCE ''A

STITCH IN TIME SAVED NINE''. YAO DID NOT RESPOND AUDIBLY. WHEN

ASKED ABOUT HONG KONG AT HIS PRESS CONFERENCE ON 15 MARCH, IN

AN OFF THE RECORD BRIEFING, DU CANN TOLD THE JOURNALISTS WHAT

HE HAD SAID TO YAO.

3. THE DELEGATION ARE AWARE THAT THE CHINESE HAVE INDICATED (IN INTERVIEWS CARRIED IN THE PRESS) THE IMPORTANCE OF SOVEREIGNTY.

| STRONGLY ADVISED THEM AGAINST MENTIONING THIS ASPECT PUBLICLY.

THEY WERE CO-OPERATIVE.

4. THE DELEGATION ARRIVES IN HONG KONG ON 23 MARCH.

CRADOCK

LIMITED HK&GD

COPIES TO:.

FS/NO 10 DOWNING ST.

FED

FARLY UNIT

PS

FS/LFS

PS/FUS

MR GIFFARD MR DONALD

CONFIDENTIAL

1