TNAG-1233-FCO40-1546-Future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 23

CONFIDENTIAL

(D) LIAO REPEATEDLY REFERRED TO THE APPLICABILITY TO HONG KONG OF THE NINE-POINT PROPOSAL FOR TAIWAN, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE PROVISIONS RELATING TO THE ARMED FORCES. HE SAID IT HAD NOT YET BEEN DECIDED WHETHER HONG KONG OR TAIWAN WOULD BE TACKLED FIRST, BUT SOVEREIGNTY OVER HONG KONG WOULD BE RECOVERED BEFORE

30 JUNE 1997.

(E) PROPOSALS FOR IMPLEMENTING THE SELF-RULE IDEA SHOULD BE WORKED OUT BY HONG KONG PEOPLE THEMSELVES AND FORWARDED TO THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES WITHOUT CONSULTING THE BRITISH.

4. THERE ARE A NUMBER OF INCONSISTENCIES, BUT IN GENERAL THESE ACCOUNTS GIVE ADDED WEIGHT TO THE VIEW THAT THE CHINESE STRATEGY IS TO PUT STRONG EMPHASIS ON ADVANCING THEIR POSITION THROUGH DIRECT CONTACTS WITH HONG KONG PEOPLE, WHILE THEY STALL

ON THE TALKS.

5. BY THEIR OWN ACCOUNT SOME AT LEAST OF THE GROUP SPOKE ROBUSTLY IN SUPPORT OF BRITISH ADMINISTRATION AND ASKED CRITICAL QUESTIONS ABOUT ASPECTS OF THE CHINESE PLAN. WHETHER THEIR POINTS WILL HAVE COME ACROSS CLEARLY TO LIAO AND OTHER CHINESE OFFICIALS IS

ANOTHER MATTER.

6. COPIES OF THE FULL RECORDS, AND OF THE MEMORANDA HANDED OVER BY MEMBERS OF THE GROUP FOLLOW BY BAG.

YOUDE

FUTURE OF HONG KONG

LIMITED

HD/HKEX_D

HD/FED

HD/PLANNING STAFF HD/PUSD PS

PS/LORD BELSTEAD PS/PUS

MR GIFFARD

MR DONALD

SIR.J. BULLARD

PS/MR. HURD

COPIES TO

SIR I SINCLAIR

MR ROBERTS

LEGAL ADVISER

NEWS D

MR COLES

MR MARTIN

CONFIDENTIAL

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