TNAG-1171-FCO40-1452-Future-of-Hong-Kong-1982 — Page 66

GPS 500

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32

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FM HONG KONG 241828Z MAY 82

TO PRIORITY

FCO

TELEGRAM NUMBER 543 OF 24 MAY

INFO PRIORITY PEKING

FROM GOVERNOR.

الات

283

нки охо

2 5 MAY 1952

W

1286

MYTELNO 529 AND PEKING TELNO 293: FUTURE OF HONG KONG.

1. MY IMPRESSION FROM READING THESE TELEGRAMS IS THAT IN ESSENCE

HUAN WAS SPEAKING TO THE LINE DENG TOOK WITH MR HEATH AND WAS NOT EXPOUNDING A NEW AND HARDER CHINESE POSITION (ON POINT A SEE BELOW). HE CONFIRMED TO THE CS AND MCLAREN THAT HE HAD BEEN KEPT

INFORMED OF RECENT DISCUSSIONS (WHICH IS WHAT ONE WOULD EXPECT), AND SPECIFICALLY REFERRED TO THE DENG/HEATH INTERVIEW. HE WILL ALSO BE FAMILIAR WITH THE EARLIER EXCHANGES. THUS, HIS STATEMENT THAT THE CHANGEOVER'' WOULD OCCUR DURING THE LAST 5 YEARS OF THE LEASE PERIOD (POINT C) GOES BACK TO DENG'S CONVERSATION WITH SIR M MACLEHOSE IN 1979 WHEN DENG CLEARLY REFERRED TO THE POSSIBILITY OF POLITICAL CHANGE BY 1997''.

2. I AGREE THAT THE INCLUSION OF SO MUCH DETAIL IS PUZZLING. BUT

MUCH DEPENDS ON HOW THE POINTS EMERGED I E WHETHER THEY WERE VOLUNTEERED OR WERE MADE IN RESPONSE TO SPECIFIC QUESTIONS. THIS

APPLIES IN PARTICULAR TO POINT A: AT THIS STAGE I DOUBT WHETHER ANY CHINESE OFFICIAL COULD GIVE ANYTHING OTHER THAN A NEGATIVE REPLY TO A DIRECT QUESTION AS TO WHETHER BRITAIN WILL CONTINUE TO ADMINISTER HONG KONG AFTER 1997. IF THE CHINESE HAVE INDEED MADE UP THEIR MINDS THAT BRITISH ADMINISTRATION IS **NOT FEASIBLE'' POST 1997 IT IS ODD THAT DENG DID NOT SAY SO EXPLICITLY TO MR HEATH. 3. IN SHORT, WHILE HUAN'S REMARKS ARE CERTAINLY DISTURBING I DO NOT THINK THAT WE SHOULD REGARD ALL THE DETAIL AS GOSPEL UNLESS AND UNTIL WE HAVE CONFIRMATION FROM OTHER SOURCES.

4. I AGREE THAT IT WOULD BE USEFUL FOR SIR P CRADOCK TO INVITE HUAN

TO DINNER AND TO TRY TO DRAW HIM OUT ON HIS IMPRESSIONS OF HIS VISIT HERE. I SEE NO REASON WHY THE AMBASSADOR SHOULD NOT SHOW KNOWLEDGE OF HUAN'S REMARKS IN AUSTRALIA AND SPEAK AS SUGGESTED IN PARA 7 OF PEKING TELNO 293. THE MESSAGE TO GET ACROSS IS THAT SUCH VIEWS COULD, IF THEY BECOME PUBLIC, LEAD TO PREMATURE AND DAMAGING SPECULATION ABOUT THE PRECISE NATURE OF FUTURE

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