TNAG-1171-FCO40-1452-Future-of-Hong-Kong-1982 — Page 37

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NOT KNOW ABOUT HUAN XIANG'S RELEVATIONS. HE ASKED ME WHETHER MR

HEATH WOULD KEEP DENG'S WORDS CONFIDENTIAL. I ASSURED HIM THAT HE

WOULD. I ALSO SAID THAT WE HAD NOTED THE RECENT SERIES OF PROMINENT

HONG KONG VISITORS WHO WERE CALLING ON CHINESE LEADERS. ZHANG

· OBSERVED THAT THEY WERE ALL ASKING ABOUT THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG.

HOWEVER, THE CHINESE WOULD SAY NOTHING TO DAMAGE CONFIDENCE. IN

RESPONSE TO A QUESTION FROM HOM, WE SAID THAT WE NORMALLY TOLD ENQUIRERS THAT OUR RELATIONS WITH CHIAN WERE EXCELLENT AND THAT

THIS WOULD ASSIST IN RESOLVING THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG.

6. I SAID I WOULD MAKE ONLY TWO PERSONAL AND GENERAL COMMENTS.

FIRST, WE MUST BE CAREFUL NOT TO KILL, THE GOOSE THAT LAID THE GOLDEN EGGS. SECOND, WHATEVER WAS DECIDED ABOUT HONG KONG SHOULD

PRESUMABLY BE SUCH AS TO ENCOURAGE RATHER THAN DETER TAIWAN FROM

FALLING IN WITH CHINA'S PLANS FOR REUNIFICATION. ZHANG SAID THAT

CHINA WAS AWARE OF THIS.

7. COMMENT. MOST OF THIS SPEAKS FOR ITSELF. ZHANG WENJIN IS A VERY

DIFFERENT INTERLOCUTOR FROM ZHANG CANMING, AND ONE WITH WHOM

BOTH FORMAL AND INFORMAL CONVERSATIONS ARE POSSIBLE AND PROFITABLE.

HE MADE IT CLEAR THAT WE HAVE A CHANNEL TO HIM WHENEVER NECESSARY,

AND I HOPE THAT WE SHALL USE IT WHEN CONDITIONS ARE RIGHT.

CRADOCK

[THIS TELEGRAM WAS NOT ADVANCED]

LIMITED

HK & GD

FED

PCD NEWS D

INFO D PUSD PS

PS/LORD BELSTEAD

PS/MR RIFKIND

PS/PUS

MR GIFFARD

MR DONALD

MR URE

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