TNAG-1171-FCO40-1452-Future-of-Hong-Kong-1982 — Page 39

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TOP COPY

SECRET

OO HONG KONG DESKBY 280100Z

GRS 164

SECRET

DESKBY 28010OZ

FM FCO 271722Z MAY 82

TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

TELEGRAM NUMBER 401 OF 27 MAY

INFO PRIORITY PEKING (PERSONAL FOR AMBASSADOR)

FOR GOVERNOR FROM DONALD

292

YOUR TELNO 546: FUTURE OF HONG KONG

7590

-

1

нак очень

RECEIVED

Y NO. 51

1 JUN RAZ

DESK OFTE! INDEX

PENS AY

PA

#46

1. WE AGREE WITH THE GENERAL LINE SUGGESTED IN PARAGRAPH 3 OF YOUR TELEGRAM. I HAVE ONLY ONE GLOSS ON (B). SINCE WE DO NOT YET KNOW HOW MINISTERS WILL WISH TO PLAY MATTERS, I SUGGEST THAT WE AVOID EVEN A HINT THAT THERE MIGHT BE A DIRECT 'RESPONSE' TO DENG'S REMARKS TO MR HEATH. THIS THOUGHT WOULD BE COVERED BY REPHRASING (B) AS FOLLOWS:

2.

'EXPLAIN THAT THE CHANGE OF FCO MINISTERS AND THE

GOVERNMENT'S PREOCCUPATION WITH THE FALKLANDS CRISIS MEAN THAT MINISTERS HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO

FORM DEFINITIVE VIEWS ON THE POINTS WHICH HAVE

BEEN MADE BY CHINESE LEADERS. IN THE MEANTIME WE

ARE STUDYING CAREFULLY WHAT DENG SAID TO MR HEATH.'

See (324)

YOU WILL BE RECEIVING A COPY OF A SEPARATE TELEGRAM ADDRESSED TO PEKING WITH OUR VIEWS ON THE HANDLING OF THE HUAN XIANQ EXCHANGES.

PYM

NNNN

DISTRIBUTION

MINIMAL

HKGD

FED

MR DONALD

1

SECRET