TNAG-1233-FCO40-1546-Future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 99

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TIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

HATKO40/1

TELELETTER TO HONG KONG

MIN

ST

GRS 305

CONFIDENTIAL

TELELETTER

1 0 JAN 1983

FROM A E DONALD

Afra

پھر

F

45819 - 1

FILE REFERENCE HKK 040/1 DATED 7 JANUARY 1983

FOLLOWING FOR R J T MCLAREN ESQ CMG POLITICAL ADVISER HONG KONG

RFI W BENTLEY ESQ CMG

SIR P MOON KCVO CMG

MH MORGAN ESQ CMG

MISS J J D'A COLLINGS

KUALA LUMPUR

SINGAPORE

MANILA

JAKARTA

HAJ STAPLES ESQ CMG

BANGKOK

PEKING

николо

1982

1092)

SIR P CRADOCK KCMG

COPIED TO: MR BURNS SEAD

MR CLIFT HKGD

MR ELLIOTT FED

FUTURE OF HONG KONG

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THANK YOU FOR SENDING ME A COPY OF YOUR USEFUL LETTER OF

6 DECEMBER 1982 TO JUSTIN STAPLES ABOUT YOUR CONVERSATION WITH

DR SARASIN AT THE THAI FOREIGN MINISTRY.

2.

IT IS ENCOURAGING TO HEAR THAT SARASIN RECOGNISED THE NEED

FOR HONG KONG'S CONTINUED STABILITY AND PROSPERITY, AND NOT

SURPRISING THAT HE FINDS IT HARD TO RECONCILE CHINESE SOVEREIGNTY

WITH THE LATTER.

3.

I HAVE NO OBJECTION TO THE LINE YOU TOOK WITH SARASIN (PARA

2 OF YOUR LETTER) BEING USED BY OUR ASEAN HEADS OF MISSION SHOULD

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THE SUBJECT COME UP IN CONVERSATION WITHSENIOR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS.

I WOULD SUGGEST JUST TWO SMALL AMENDMENTS TO PARAGRAPH 2(D) (I):

SUBSTITUTE AN ESTIMATED 35 PERCENT FOR 35-40 PERCENT' IN

LINE 3, AND 'SIGNIFICANT CHANGES' FOR ANY CHANGES AT ALL' IN

LINES 13 AND 14. BUT THE MATERIAL SHOULD BE USED WITH DISCRETION

AND DRAWN ON IN APPROPRIATE CIRCUMSTANCES TO MEET ENQUIRIES FROM

TRUSTED CONTACTS.

4. WHILE I DO NOT WISH ANYONE TO GO OUT OF THEIR WAY TO RAISE

THE SUBJECT, WE SHOULD BE GRATEFUL TO KNOW OF ANY FURTHER HIGH

LEVEL INTEREST SHOWN IN HONG KONG'S FUTURE (I KNOW FROM THE PAST

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CONFIDENTIAL