TNAG-1237-FCO40-1550-Future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 103

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PS/Lord Belstead

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FUTURE OF HONG KONG

1.

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Acticere a tuned for finsy Cheny Hl. The following are the main points which have come up

during the Minister's absence.

Prime Minister's Message to Chinese Premier

2.

There has been no response and Zhao Ziyang is now in Australasia until the end of April. However, the Chinese have been leaking information about the message to a number of personalities.

we know that they have told:

(a) Mr Fung King-Hey, the Hong Kong financier to whom

Lord Shepherd acts as an adviser. (Lord Shepherd has written to Lord Belstead about this);

(b)

Mr Hal Miller MP, who is at present visiting China (see below);

194.

(c) Mr Robin Hutcheon, editor of the South China Morning Post.

3.

The latter leak presents the most difficult potential problem. Mr Hutcheon was told by NCNA in Hong Kong who also informed him that the Prime Minister had said that if the package was right, Britain would be prepared to concede sovereignty. This has not yet appeared in the South China Morning Post or other newspaper. We have however been in touch with Number 10 and with Peking and Hong Kong on the line to take and other action if it does appear. It is agreed that we should at first decline to comment and if pressed should stress that it had been made clear to the Chinese on many occasions that it was not in IIMG's power to concede sovereignty and that Parliament had the decisive voice on such questions. Depending on the circumstances of any report we might also wish to instruct the Ambassador to remonstrate with the Chinese about the leak.

Visit of Mr Hal Miller MP

4.

Mr Miller told the Secretary of State about two weeks ago that he had been invited to China by Mr Liao Chengzhi, through a Hong Kong intermediary. The Secretary of State made clear that we would not wish to pass any message through Mr Miller but would be interested to hear what the Chinese said to him and would be ready to brief him before he went. Mr Miller saw me last week

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