TNAG-1170-FCO40-1450-Future-of-Hong-Kong-1982 — Page 27

GR 350

SECRET

FM PEKING 080644Z APR 82

TO PRIORITY F C O

TELNO 212 OF 8 APRIL

SECRET

HKK 040/1

(206A)

INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG (PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR).

(52

лю

cat

3014 fro 3014 DONALD'S LETTER OF 25 MARCH TO SIR M MACLEHOSE (JUST RECEIVED):

POSSIBLE VISIT BY SIR E YOUDE TO PEKING

1. THE KEY POINT IS A CHINESE INVITATITN. IF ONE IS EXTENDED IT SHOULD BE ACCEPTED. BUT WE SHOULD NOT GIVE THE IMPRESSION TF BEING OVER-EAGER OR RUNNING AFTER AN INVITATION. I AM SURE ONE WILL COME.

See (219

2. WE SHALL PROBABLY HAVE LATITUDE ON TIMING. ON THIS I AM CLEAR

IT WOULD BE VERY INADVISABLE TO TRY TO SQUEEZE IN A VISIT BETWEEN THE NEW GOVERNOR'S ARRIVAL IN HONG KONG IN LATE MAY AND THE PRIME MINISTER'S VISIT TO PEKING IN SEPTEMBER. IT WOULD LOOK CONTRIVED AND OVER-EAGER. GIVEN SIR E YOUDE'S CHINA EXPERTISE IT COULD NOT PLAUSIBLY BE EXPLAINED AS A FAMILIARISATION VISIT. IT WOULD ATTRACT GREAT PUBLICITY AND ITS CLOSENESS BOTH TO YOUDE'S ARRIVAL AND TO THE PRIME MINISTER'S VISIT WOULD DANGEROUSLY AROUSE PUBLIC, IN PARTICULAR HONG KONG, EXPECTATIONS, WITH CONSEQUENTLY GREATER RISK OF DISAPPOINTMENT IN THE EVENT.

3. IT HAS BEEN OUR MAIN OBJECT ALL ALONG TO AVOID SETTING IMPOSSIBLY HIGH TARGETS FOR THE PRIME MINISTER'S VISIT, SUGGESTING SHE WOULD COME AWAY WITH A SOLUTION (SEE MOST RECENTLY LORD CARRINGTON'S GUIDANCE TO MR HEATH IN CLIFT'S TELELETTER OF 29 MARCH). A VISIT TIMED AS SUGGESTED WOULD HAVE JUST THE CONTRARY EFFECT.

~~Hkk 026/2

4. I ALSO THINK THE SUGGESTION IN PARA 4 OF THE LETTER THAT YOUDE

SHOULD DROP HINTS OF FLEXIBILITY ON SOVEREIGNTY BEFORE THE PRIME MINISTER HAS SPOKEN TO THE CHINESE UNWISE. THESE MATTERS MUST

SURELY BE LEFT TO HER.

5. THE RIGHT TIME FOR SUCH A VISIT, WHICH I AM SURE COULD BE VERY VALUABLE, WOULD BE AT A DECENT INTERVAL AFTER THE PRIME MINISTER'S VISIT, PREFERABLY LATE 1982 OR EARLY 1983, BY WHICH TIME WE SHOULD,

I HOPE, BE GETTING DOWN TO THE DETAILED WORK FLOWING FROM THE PRIME MINISTER'S VISIT,

CRADOCK

LIMITED

IFED

нкойд

MR GIFFARD MR DONALD

THIS TELEGRAM

WAS HEL

ADVANCED

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