TNAG-1237-FCO40-1550-Future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 95

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LETTER TO LORD BELSTEAD FROM LORD SHEPHERD: FUTURE OF HONG KONG

1.

I attach a self-explanatory draft reply to Lord

Shepherd's letter of 13 April to Lord Belstead.

2.

Mr Fung is inclined to see himself as something of a channel between ourselves and the Chinese. This is not something we wish to encourage.

3.

Staff changes at the NCNA have been expected for a long time. At one stage the Chinese Ambassador in London was mentioned as a successor to the present director Wang Kuang. It seems likely that the appointees Mr Fung has heard about are correct but there have been no official announcements yet.

4.

As for the Prime Minister's message to Premier Zhao, it may only be a matter of time before news of it leaks out but we do not want to encourage this. It is interesting that the Chinese are now telling one or two selected people about the message. They are generally taking the line that it has been helpful. We are minuting separately on this.

Quir

R D Clift

19 April 1983

Hong Kong and General Department

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