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DESKBY 240100Z
FM FCO 231535Z AUG 82
TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
TELEGRAM NUMBER 655 OF 23 AUGUST
PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR FROM CLIFT
MIPT
TEXT AS FOLLOWS:
BEGINS:
нико4013
2 4 AUG:982
THERE WILL THEREFORE ALMOST CERTAINLY BE A WIDE GAP BETWEEN THE POSITIONS OF THE TWO SIDES. THIS IS LIKELY TO BE REFLECTED IN SERIOUSLY DIVERGENT VIEWS ON THE PURPOSE OF FOLLOW UP TALKS. ON OUR SIDE WE WILL WANT TALKS ABOUT ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTINUATION OF BRITISH ADMINISTRATION. TO THAT END THE PRIME MINISTER MAY WISH TO PROPOSE THE EARLY START OF DISCUSSIONS THROUGH DIPLOMATIC CHANNELS AIMED AT REACHING AGREEMENT ON MUTUALLY ACCEPTABLE ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE FUTURE. FOR THEIR PART THE CHINESE WILL NO DOUBT WANT TALKS DIRECTED TO THE MODALITIES OF RESUMPTION OF SOVEREIGNTY PROBABLY INVOLVING A TRANSITION TO SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION STATUS. THEY MAY WELL PUSH HARD FOR THIS.
THE PRIME MINISTER WILL NOT WISH TO AGREE TO TALKS ON THIS BASIS: NOR WILL SHE WISH TO MAKE ANY SUBSTANTIVE CONCESSION ON SOVEREIGNTY WITHOUT A CLEAR INDICATION FROM THE CHINESE THAT THEY WOULD BE PREPARED IN RETURN TO CONTEMPLATE THE CONTINUATION OF BRITISH ADMINISTRATION AFTER 1997. BUT IT WILL BE ESSENTIAL, IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN CONFIDENCE IN HONG KONG, THAT THERE SHOULD BE AN ANNOUNCEABLE AGREEMENT ON CONTINUING TALKS. IN ORDER TO AVOID AN IMPASSE IT IS FOR CONSIDERATION WHETHER THE PRIME MINISTER SHOULD INDICATE WILLINGNESS, INTHE COURSE OF TALKS WITHOUT PREJUDICE TO THE POSITIONS OF EITHER SIDE, TO DISCUSS WAYS IN WHICH THE CHINESE POSITION ON SOVEREIGNTY MIGHT BE PROTECTED PROVIDED ON THE STRICT UNDERSTANDING THAT IN RETURN THE CHINESE WERE PREPARED TO ACCEPT THAT NO CHANGES SHOULD BE
see (18
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