DD 25010OZ HONG KONG
GRS 474
SECRET
DESKBY 250100Z
FM FCO 241545Z SEP 83
SECRET
TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
TELEGRAM NUMBER 960 OF 24 SEPTEMBER
92
20389 1
HKK
027/20
RECEIVED IN NEGISTAY
SP 1963
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į Amteur Taken
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING (PERSONAL FOR AMBASSADOR)
PEKING TELNOS 927,928, 932 AND 933: FUTURE OF HONG KONG:
MR LUCE'S VISIT
1.
I AGREE WITH SIR P CRADOCK'S COMMENTS ON THE LATEST
ROUND OF TALKS. IT IS SATISFACTORY THAT WE HAVE GOT ANOTHER
ROUND AGREED AND ANNOUNCED BUT THE CHINESE PERFORMANCE CLEARLY
CONFIRMS OUR EARLIER ASSESSMENT. MR LUCE'S VISIT TAKES PLACE AT
A CRITICAL TIME. IT PROVIDES AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO MORE PUBLICLY
TO SUSTAIN CONFIDENCE AND TO REVIEW THE POSITION WITH EXCO.
(BEGIN UNDERLINING) PUBLIC POSITION (CEASE UNDERLINING)
2.
WHILE WE AGREE WITH EXCO'S VIEW THAT THE TIME HAS NOT
COME FOR FORMAL PUBLIC STATEMENTS ON OUR POSITION IN THE
NEGOTIATIONS, WE THINK IT WOULD BE HELPFUL IF MR LUCE WERE TO TAKE
A SUITABLE OPPORTUNITY TO DESCRIBE MORE FULLY THE BACKGROUND TO
OUR ATTITUDE TO THE TALKS AND OUR GENERAL AIMS. CLEARLY WE DO
NOT WANT TO DO THIS IN A WAY WHICH WOULD PREJUDICE THE TALKS
OR PROVOKE A REACTION FROM THE CHINESE BUT
WE CAN MAKE CLEAR NOT ONLY OUR COMMITMENT TO SEEKING A SOLUTION
WHICH WILL MEET HONG KONG'S INTERESTS BUT ALSO OUR GENERAL VIEWS
ON THE NEED FOR ASSURANCES WHICH CAN GENUINELY MAINTAIN
CONFIDENCE.
MIFT CONTAINS THE TEXT OF A SUGGESTED STATEMENT.
I THINK THAT UNLESS YOU OR MR LUCE SEE OBJECTIONS IT SHOULD BE
DISCUSSED WITH EXCO. IT MIGHT MOST USEFULLY BE DEPLOYED AT HIS
PRESS CONFERENCE (IN COMBINATION WITH THE OTHER MATERIAL IN HIS
BRIEF AND ANY SUGGESTIONS WHICH YOU WISH TO MAKE).
ALTERNATIVELY IF MR LUCE AND YOURSELF JUDGED THAT PRESSURE IN
HONG KONG MADE AN EARLIER STATEMENT DESIRABLE WE WOULD LEAVE
IT TO YOUR DISCRETION TO ARRANGE THIS.
3.
I WOULD ENVISAGE SIR P CRADOCK EXPLAINING THE STATEMENT TO
1
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