TNAG-1237-FCO40-1550-Future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 150

PS/Lord Belstead

cc: Mr Donald

Hd/FED

FUTURE OF HONG KONG

1.

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226 8/4

I would have thought

There

Could be advantage in ensuringthes The Unofficials of toco teman" "onside" before they talk to Mr. Heath when heusit HK. & therefore thar and Zoro visir

历 Mid-May might be desirable.

X 10/4.

Lord Belstead may like to be aware of the following recent developments:

(a)

Briefing the Australians:

See (220)

Sir J Mason in Canberra has been authorised to brief Australian Minister or senior officials on Hong Kong prior to Premier Zhao's visit in mid-April. Sir E Youde and Sir P Cradock have been authorised to

brief their Australian colleagues once

Sir J Mason has acted. We have not fed points to the Australians to put to the Chinese but the briefing may help them to put across points of their own (our telno 121).

(b) Visit to China by Rt Hon Edward Heath MP:

Mr Heath has accepted an invitation to visit China in late May/ early June. He intends also to visit Hong Kong. No 10's initial view is that we should give him general guidance but not a detailed accent of the negotiations but we shall need to consider this very carefully. (Our telnos 195 and 323; and Peking telno 312).

(c) Visit to London by Unofficial Members of EXCO:

The Governor has sought our views on a visit by this group perhaps in mid-May (Hong Kong telno 478). We shall be submitting soon.

(d) Contingency Planning for a June announcement by the Chinese

of the Plan for Hong Kong:

This was submitted to the Prime Minister who described it as a useful start. She has agreed that the Governor may discuss with EXCO the general question of a Chinese statement and our possible response, though without putting any precise text to them at this stage (our telnos 330 and 331).

3 April 1983

наколю

Azim

ROND GS.STPY NO. 51

12 APR 1983

FA

REGISTRY Action Tak

KH14

R D Clift

Hong Kong and General Department

SECRET

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