TNAG-1173-FCO40-1465-Future-of-Hong-Kong-special-study-by-FCO-for-the-Prime-Minis-1982 — Page 271

GRS 360

SECRET

DESKBY 24113OZ

SECRET

FM HONG KONG 24104OZ AUG 82

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELEGRAM NUMBER 916 OF 24 AUGUST

PERSONAL FOR CLIFT FROM GOVERNOR.

YOURTELNOS 654 AND 655.

STUDY ON THE FUTURE :'*DISCUSS

USSIONS IN PEKING**

HKK 040/3

MWYLD IN KALMAY

3 1 AUG 1982

ра

Af3118

тор сору..

THE TEXT OF YOURTELNO 655 DOES NOT SEEM TO ME TO BRING OUT

CLEARLY ENOUGH THE NEED TO ACHIEVE AGREEMENT ON AN EARLY COMMENC-

MENT OF TALKS THROUGH DIPLOMATIC CHANNELS AS AN OBJECTIVE IN ITSELF, IRRESPECTIVE OR WHETHER OR NOT THERE HAS BEEN ANY MEETINGS OF

MINDS DURING THE PM'S. DISCUSSIONS.

FOR HER TO PRESENT 2. IT WILL BE ESSENTIAL FOR HONG KONG PURPOSES THE TALKS WHICH WILL FOLLOW HER VISIT AS THE COMMENCEMENT OF A NEW PHASE IN OUR DISCUSSIONS WITH THE CHINESE: AND TO BE ABLE TO ANNOUNCE, IF AT ALL POSSIBLE, THE DATE ON WHICH THE NEW PHASE OF TALKS WILL BEGIN. IT WILL NOT BE ENOUGH TO PRESENT THE TALKS AS SIMPLY A CONTINUATION OF AN EXISTING PROCESS.

3. MOREOVER WE WOULD NOT WISH TO GIVE THE IMPRESSION THAT THERE WERE CIRCUMSTANCES IN WHICH WE ON OUR PART WOULD NOT AGREE TO TALKS AT ALL (E G THE FIRST SENTENCE OF YOUR PARA 2 OF THE TEXT OF YOUR TELNO 655). WITH THIS IN MIND I THINK THE FIRST SENTENCE OF PARA 2 SHOULD BE AMENDED TO READ THE PRIME MINISTER WILL NOT WISH TO AGREE THAT THE CHINESE POSITION SHOULD BE ACCEPTED AS THE BASIS ON WHICH FUTURE TALKS SHOULD BE CONDUCTED''. THE THIRD SENTENCE (BEGINNING **BUT IT WILL BE ESSENTIAL... SHOULD THEN BE OMITTED FROM THE SECOND PARAGRAPH AND THE FIRST SENTENCE OF THE THIRD PARAGRAPH ADDED ON TO THE SECOND PARAGRAPH. 4. THE THIRD PARAGRAPH COULD THEN BEGIN 'BUT WHATEVER THE GAP

}

REMAINING SETWEEN THE TWO SIDES AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE PM'S DISCUSSIONG IT WILL DE ESSENTIAL, IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN CONFIDENCE

IN HONG KONG, TO GIVE THE IMPRESSION THAT PROGRESS HAD BEEN

MADE AT LEAST TO THE EXTENT OF BEING ABLE TO ANNOUNCE AT THE

+

END OF HER VISIT THAT AGREEMENT HAD BEEN REACHED ON THE EARLY COMMENCEMENT OF TALKS AIMED AT MUTUALLY ACCEPTABLE ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE FUTURE. IT WOULD ALSO BE HIGHLY DESIRABLE TO BE ABLE TO ANNOUNCE A DATE ON WHICH THIS NEW PHASE OF TALKS WOULD BEGIN. 5. NEW PARA WOULD THEN BEGIN IF THERE HAD BEEN NO AGREEMENT ON THE BASIS FOR THE TALKS THEY WOULD HAVE TO BE WITHOUT COMMITMENT ON DEVOTED **

YOUSE

MINIMAL

MK GD

EITHER SIDE AND THE FIRST STAGE WOULD PROBABLY BE

....(AS IN EXISTING PARA 3).

SECRET

! #

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