TNAG-1230-FCO40-1543-Visit-by-Richard-Luce--Minister-of-State-for-Foreign-and-Com-1983 — Page 95

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MR LUCE'S VISIT TO HONG KONG: MEETING ON 16 SEPTEMBER AT 11.30

place.

1. Mr Luce may wish to cover the following ground at this meeting:

Briefing

2. We have submitted the bulk of the briefs. Personality notes will follow shortly. Brief No 2 on the Future of Hong Kong will have to be finalised after Mr Luce's departure. We are however providing background papers.

Discussion with EXCO

3.

27 September

This will be a crucial meeting. The Governor's first round with EXCO on 14 September is reported in Hong Kong telno 1356. Most members seem to have taken a hard line. This will probably be reflected during Mr Luce's meeting, however the talks with the Chinese on 22/23 September go.

4. We shall submit to the Secretary of State with a letter to No 10 when the report on the second meeting is received, with recom- mendations for instructions to Sir P Cradock for the next round.

5. The main problem will be to give Sir P Cradock sufficient latitude to get agreement on a date for a further meeting, within. very tight constraints on substance.

6.

We shall arrange for Sir P Cradock's report on the 22/23 Sep- tember talks to be repeated to Singapore for Mr Luce. We shall telegraph an assessment with suggestions for the line for the Minister to take with EXCO over the weekend.

Press Conference

7. A list of suggested points is attached. Those on the future will have to be completed and updated by telegraph.

8. Special problems likely to be raised:

(a) Rumours of military involvement in future. These spring from Mr Heseltine's attendance at the Prime Minister's 5 September meeting; from the CDS's visit to Hong Kong and from plans for a naval task group visit to the Far East, probably including Hong Kong, early next year. (See South China Morning Post article of 6 September attached.) We hope to arrange for the CDS's visit to THIS IS A COPY

THE ORIGINAL HAS BEEN

CLOSED FOR OYEARS UNDER FOI

EXEMPTION NO. 27(140.

/be postponed

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