TNAG-1171-FCO40-1452-Future-of-Hong-Kong-1982 — Page 87

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GRSS 700

SEC PET

FM HONG KONG 2007002 MAY 82

TO PRIORITY F C O

TELEGRAM NUMBER 523 OF 20 MAY

SECRET

INFO PRIORITY PEKING (PERSONAL FOR AMBASSADOR)

PERSONAL FOR DONALD

FROM HADDON-CAVE

FUTURE OF HONG KONG

TÖP & COPY

L

HUA RESET, ME. 51

AY 122

W/ 162612"

1. M IFT CONTAINS THE TEXT OF AN AUSTRALIAN TELEGRAM REPORTING REMARKS ON THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG MADE BY HUAN XIANG, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE ACADEMY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES TO THE DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS DURING HIS RECENT VISIT TO AUSTRALIA. IT WAS GIVEN TO THE POLITICAL ADVISER YESTERDAY ON INSTRUCTIONS BY THE FIRST SECRETARY OF THE AUSTRALIAN COMMISSION, WHO THOUGHT THAT HUAN'S COMMENTS HAD PROBABLY BEEN MADE TO THE FIRST ASSISTANT SECRETARY (EQUIVALENT TO UNDER SECRETARY) IN THE NORTH ASIAN DEPARTMENT OF THE DFA. PORTER ALSO SAID THAT HE HAD SEEN A TELEGRAM FROM THE AUSTRALIAN AMBASSADOR IN PEKING WHICH MENTIONED THAT HUAN WOULD BE VISITING HONG KONG AFTER AUSTRALIA AND WAS LIKELY TO RAISE AMONG OTHER THINGS THE QUESTION OF THE FUTURE. THE AMBASSADOR'S

TELEGRAM APPARENTLY GAVE NO SOURCE FOR THIS FORECAST.

Hele 026/11 @ 1982

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2. HUAN ARRIVED HERE ON THE EVENING OF 17 MAY AND LEFT FOR PEKING THIS MORNING (PEKING TEL NO 37 TO HONG KONG REFERS). THE AUSTRALIAN TELEGRAM REACHED US AFTER HIS CALL ON ME WHICH TOOK PLACE ON THE AFTERNOOK OF 18 MAY. ON THAT OCCASION HUAN ASKED A NUMBER OF NOT VERY PENETRATING QUESTIONS ABOUT THE HONG KONG ECONOMY BUT MADE NO REFERENCE TO THE FUTURE.

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3. GIVEN THE NATURE OF HUAN'S COMMENTS IN MIFT I THOUGHT IT RIGHT TO GIVE HIM A FURTHER OPPORTUNITY TO PASS ON ANY MESSAGE WHICH HE MIGHT HAVE FOR US. AT THE END OF MY DINNER FOR HIM LAST NIGHT POLITICAL ADVISER AND I THEREFORE TOOK HUAN ASIDE AND INTRODUCED THE QUESTION OF THE FUTURE BY ASKING WHETHER HE AND HIS INSTITUTE HAD BEEN KEPT INFORMED OF RECENT EXCHANGES BETWEEN CHINESE LEADERS AND SENIOR BRITISH VISITORS. HE CONFIRMED THAT HE HAD. AFTER FURTHER GENTLE PRODDING HE SAID THAT THE QUESTION WAS VERY COMPLICATED: IT WAS BEING STUDIED INTENSIVELY BY THE MFA AND BY HIS INSTITUTE: THE PRINCIPLES HAD BEEN LAID DOWN BY DENG XIAOPING IN HIS CONVERSATION WITH MR HEATH: BUT HOW THEY SHOULD BE APPLIED REMAINED TO BE WORKED OUT. IT WAS QUITE CLEAR TO BOTH MCLAREN AND ME THAT HE DID NOT WISH TO GO FURTHER THAN THIS.

SECRET

/ 4. COMMENT

гуда

See(281)

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