TNAG-1171-FCO40-1452-Future-of-Hong-Kong-1982 — Page 36

GR 638

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FM PEKING 280555Z MAY 32

TO PRIORITY F C O

TELNO 306 OF 28 MAY

To Reply as part of tu pint

Hergoth the

sofson 2/6.

SECRET

INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG (PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR).

HAIS

occold

305

RECEIVED IN RECY NO: 51

1 JUN

DESK

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FUTURE OF HONG KONG

INDEX

1. I GAVE A SMALL DINNER ON 27 MAY TO WELCOME BACK ZHANG WENJIN

AS THE NEW VICE FOREIGN MINISTER RESPONSIBLE FOR SINO/BRITISH

RELATIONS. DURING DINNER HE ASKED WHETHER HONG KONG WOULD BE AN

IMPORTANT SUBJECT DURING THE PRIME MINISTER'S VISIT. I CONFIRMED

THAT IT WOULD. WHETHER WE LIKED IT OR NOT, THERE WOULD BE GREAT

EXPECTATIONS RAISED BY THE VISIT. SHE WAS GOING TO HONG KONG AFTER

CHINA. IT WAS IN THE INTEREST OF BOTH SIDES THAT HER VISIT SHOULD

BE A SUCCESS.

2. ZHANG AGREED. HE THEN ASKED WHETHER WE HAD ANY REACTIONS TO THE

POINTS PUT BY DENG XIAOPING TO MR HEATH, WHICH HE CONFIRMED WERE

THE IMPORTANT PRINCIPLES OF THE CHINESE POSITION.

3. I SAID THAT WE HAD NOTED CAREFULLY THE POINTS MADE BY DENG, BUT

THAT HE WOULD UNDERSTAND MINISTERS WERE CURRENTLY PREOCCUPIED WITH

THE FALKLANDS CRISIS. HE ASKED ME WHETHER I HAD ANY PERSONAL

REACTIONS. I REPLIED THAT IT WOULD NOT BE APPROPRIATE FOR ME TO

GET INTO DISCUSSION OF THIS SUBJECT UNTIL BRITISH MINISTERS HAD

HAD A CHANCE TO CONSIDER THE MATTER FULLY. HE REPLIED THAT HE

UNDERSTOOD THIS, BUT HOPED THAT I WOULD FEEL FREE TO COME TO HIM AT ANY TIME THAT I HAD ANYTHING TO SAY, WHETHER FORMALLY OR ON AN

INFORMAL BASIS. HE EMPHASISED THAT HE WAS WILLING TO SPEAK ''JUST

BETWEEN OURSELVES'' WHEN THIS WAS HELPFUL.

4. HE THEN ASKED WHETHER WE SHOULD WAIT UNTIL THE PRIME MINISTER

ARRIVED TO INITIATE DISCUSSIONS ON THE SUBJECT, OR WHETHER TALKS SHOULD BE HELD FIRST. I SAID THAT THIS WOULD REALLY DEPEND ON

MINISTERIAL DECISIONS.

5. I SAID THAT IN THE MEANTIME I HOPED THAT WE COULD KEEP ANY

DISCUSSIONS OF THIS ISSUE IN THE OFFICIAL CHANNEL BETWEEN OUR-

SELVES AND ON AN EXTREMELY CONFIDENTIAL BASIS. PUBLIC OPINION IN

HONG KONG WAS NERVOUS AND PREMATURE LEAKS ABOUT THE FUTURE COULD

CAUSE CONFIDENCE TO FALTER AND DO IRREPARABLE DAMAGE TO BOTH

BRITISH AND CHINESE INTERESTS. ZHANG AGREED READILY THAT THE

MATTER WAS DELICATE. BUT HE SEEMED A LITTLE PUZZLED BY THE

REFERENCE TO POSSIBLE LEAKS, AND I HAD THE IMPRESSION THAT HE DID.

AF 4/0

See (319

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