TNAG-1237-FCO40-1550-Future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 158

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00 UKDEL NATO DESKBY 300730Z

GRS 335

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DESKBY 300730Z

FM FCO 291515Z MAR

TO IMMEDIATE UKDEL NATO

TELEGRAM NUMBER 119 OF 29 MARCH

COUNCIL DISCUSSION ON ASIA: HONG KONG

1.

A.

Hanouо/ HKG D'

30 MAR 1983

LAF 30%

YOU ASKED FOR A BRIEF ON HONG KONG FOR USE ON 30 MARCH

AT THE SIX-MONTHLY COUNCIL DISCUSSION ON THE EXPERT WORKING GROUP

REPORT ON ASIA. THE FOLLOWING MAY BE USED FREELY.

2.

THE PRIME MINISTER VISITED CHINA FROM 22 TO 26 SEPTEMBER

1982 AND HONG KONG FROM 26 TO 28 SEPTEMBER 1982. HER VISIT TO

CHINA, THE FIRST EVER BY A BRITISH PRIME MINISTER IN OFFICE,

PROVIDED AN OPPORTUNITY TO HOLD TALKS WITH CHINESE LEADERS ON A

NUMBER OF WORLD AS WELL AS BILATERAL ISSUES.

3.

ONE OF THE SUBJECTS DISCUSSED WAS HONG KONG. THE

FOLLOWING STATEMENT WAS ISSUED AFTER A MEETING BETWEEN THE PRIME

MINISTER AND CHAIRMAN DENG XIAOPING ON 24 SEPTEMBER.

4.

'TODAY THE LEADERS OF BOTH COUNTRIES HELD FAR-REACHING

TALKS IN A FRIENDLY ATMOSPHERE ON THE FUTURE OF

HONG KONG. BOTH LEADERS MADE CLEAR THEIR RESPECTIVE

POSITIONS ON THIS SUBJECT.

THEY AGREED TO ENTER TALKS THROUGH DIPLOMATIC CHANNELS

FOLLOWING THE VISIT WITH THE COMMON AIM OF MAINTAINING

THE STABILITY AND PROSPERITY OF HONG KONG'.

IN SUBSEQUENT PRESS CONFERENCES AND INTERVIEWS, BOTH IN

PEKING AND IN HONG KONG, THE PRIME MINISTER MADE IT CLEAR THAT:

(A) THESE TALKS WILL BE CONFIDENTIAL:

(B) BRITAIN TAKES ITS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG

VERY SERIOUSLY:

(C) THE VIEWS OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG WILL BE TAKEN INTO

ACCOUNT.

5.

MEETINGS IN PEKING TO FOLLOW UP THE PRIME MINISTER'S

VISIT HAVE BEGUN THROUGH DIPLOMATIC CHANNELS AND ARE CONTINUING.

AS WAS MADE CLEAR BY THE PRIME MINISTER IN HER PRESS CONFERENCES

1

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