TNAG-1171-FCO40-1452-Future-of-Hong-Kong-1982 — Page 75

WF TL 846/24

W. 283A

PEKING TL 788

TO F C G

HONG KONG

GR 190

SECRET AND PERSON AL

TELELETTER

FROM

My

Enter

Clift

нки

04011

MED EN ASAMY 45. 24 MAY 1932

wt lemb

Submit with pp o

Comment

SIR P CRADOCK, PEKING

25/5

NER

FOLLOWING FOR

22 MAY 1982

ALAN DONALD ESQ CMG, AUSS, FCO

Jee/357

COPIED TO

FUTURE OF HONG KONG

(PERSONAL) GOVERNOR, HONG KONG

267

+1268

1. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TWO TELELETTERS OF 17 MAY.

2. 1 VERY MUCH HOPE THAT THE MEETING WITH THE PRIME MINISTER

CAN BE ARRANGED AT A TIME WHICH WILL ENABLE ME TO BE PRESENT. THE DEPARTMENT HAS MY LEAVE PROGRAMME.

3. FOR THE REST, MY VIEWS ARE ON RECORD AND I MUST RELY ON YOU

TO DRAW THEM TO THE ATTENTION OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE.

4. 1 AM ALSO RATHER UNHAPPY AT THE SUGGESTION IN PARAGRAPH 6

OF THE SECOND TELELETTER THAT HONG KONG BUSINESSMEN MIGHT BE

ADVISED TO SUGGEST THAT IN THEIR VIEW SOVEREIGNTY WOULD RE

NEGOTIABLE AND TO DO SO AT A TIME BEFORE THE QUESTION HAS BEEN

CONSIDERED BY THE CABINET. IT WOULD SOON BECOME KNOWN TO THE

CHINESE WHO HAD AUTHORISED SUCH STATEMENTS AND AS A RESULT THE

VALUE OF OUR MAIN NEGOTIATING COUNTER WOULD BE DEGRADED. WE

SHOULD ALSO BE EMBARKING ON NEGOTIATION BY PROXY, WHICH IS VERY

LIFFERENT FROM THE ROLE HITHERTO ENVISAGED FOR SUCH BUSINESSMENT

1.E. EDUCATION OF CHINESE IN THE COMMERCIAL REALITIES.

SIR P CRADOCK

NNNN

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