TNAG-1240-FCO40-1553-Future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 49

HOF0033/19

00 FCO

00 PEKING

GR 300

SECRET

FM HONG KONG 19100OZ AUG 83

TO HIMMED HATE FCO

TELEGRAM NUMBER 1237 OF 19 AUGUST

INFO HMMEDIATE PEKING

FOR DONALD FROM ACTING GOVERNOR

гоби

(479)

1027/19 De

NO DISTRIBUTION

THI

476

PEKUNG TELNO 807: FUTURE OF HONG KONG

McDonald

HKK040 ||

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

? 3 AUG 1983

DLSK OFFICER

INDEX

PA

ACCEPTABILITY OF PROPOSALS TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG

REGISTRY

Action Taken

Un

OBVIOUSLY, YOU WILL WISH TO CONSULT THE GOVERNOR, BUT DO NOT THINK THE GENERAL THRUST OF THE COMMENTS IN PARAGRAPH 3 OF TELEGRAM UNDER REFERENCE IS ENTIRELY FAIR. FIRST, INEVITABLY, EXCO (PARTICULARLY UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS) WILL FEEL BOUND TO CONSIDER

(REPEAT CONSH DER) CONFRONTATION RATHER THAN SURRENDER AND WE CAN

EXPECT THEM TO CONSIDER SUCH A COURSE FROM TIME TO TIME AS THE

SECENARIO UNFOLDS. SECONDLY, THE FACT THAT UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS

HAVE LOOKED AT THE POSSIBILITY OF THE CEDED TERRITORIES ALONE

REMAINING UNDER BRITISH SOVEREIGNTY AND CONTROL AFTER 1997 SHOULD

NOT BE HELD AGAINST THEM. THEY WERE BOUND TO LOOK AT THIS

POSSIBILITY QUOTE SERIOUSLY UNQUOTE AND INDEED WE ENCOURAGED THEM

TO DO SO. BUT APART FROM A RESDUAL FEELING THAT PERHAPS THE

DIFFERENT STATUS IN INTERNATIONAL LAW OF THE CEDED TERRITORIES

HS A CARD TO BE PLAYED, SOMEHOW, UNOFFICIALS DO NOT SEE THE

SEPARATION OF THE CEDED TERRITORIES FROM THE REST AS BEING EITHER

A PRACTICAL PROPOSITION OR FEASHBLE POLITICALLY. THIRDLY, ANY DISPOSITION OF THE PART OF EXCO TO BE RATHER LESS QUOTE REALISTIC

AND FLEXIBLE UNQUOTE THAN PERHAPS WE MIGHT WISH HAS BEEN (AND WILL

CONTINUE TO BE) DUE TO A DEEP SEATED SENSE OF ANXIETY, PARTICULARLY

ON THE PART OF UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS WHO ARE CONSCIOUS OF THEIR

QUOTE HISTORIC UNQUOTE RESPONSIBILITIES (h.E. THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES,

AS UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS OF XCO AT THIS TIME, TO STICK TO SUCH AN ACCEPTABLE SOLUTION).

2. IF THE THIRD SENTENCE OF PARAGRAPH 6 OF THE PAPER IS TO BE

AMENDED, THEREFORE, H: SUGGEST IT SHOULD READ:

QUOTE THIS ARRANGEMENT HAS WORKED WELL AND, DESPITE THEIR ANXIETIES, XCO HAVE SHOWN THEMSELVES TO BE REALISTIC AND FLEXIBLE UNQUOTE.

HADDON-CAVE

NNNN

+