TNAG-1237-FCO40-1550-Future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 141

CONFIDENTIAL

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

London SW1A 2AH

HKK040 |

11pril 1983

12 APR 1983

932

む

RJT McLaren Esq CMG HONG KONG

Dear Robin,

:CH 1514

FUTURE OF HONG KONG: RANALD MACDONALD AND DEACON CHIU

1.

Thank you for your letter of 21 March enclosing the text of Ronald MacDonald's speech to the Foreign Affairs Committee of the CPPCC. We were grateful too for the comments in your telegram number 384 and Peking telegram number 239. We also received the text of MacDonald's speech for Charles Cullimore in Canberra who was given it by the Australian DFA. It would indeed be interesting to know whether MacDonald did clear his lines in advance with the Administration in Canberra. We are writing to Canberra about this.

2.

As for Deacon Chiu (Peirce's teleletter of 16 March and yours of 22 March) it does not sound as though anything new came up at either of his meetings with Zhao Ziyang or Liao Changzhu, although Chiu's impression when talking to you that Liao's line had hardened seems to be somewhat at odds with what Chiu, according to Bob Peirce, told MacDonald. Either way, it

all sounds pretty insubstantial. Zhao's meeting with MacDonald (Peking telegram number 239) was just as unremarkable. It is clear nevertheless that the Chinese leaders attach much importance to the very fact that they receive visitors of all kinds from Hong Kong at a high level. This is obviously going to continue (cf your telegram number 481).

Yours faili

R D Clift

Hong Kong and General Department

Cc:

R N Peirce Esq PEKING

PA B Thomson Esq, FED, FCO

CONFIDENTIAL