TNAG-1241-FCO40-1554-Future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 39

452

GRS 300

CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

FROM PEKING 080715Z SEP 83

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELEGRAM NUMBER 872 OF 8TH SEPT

INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG

OUR TELNO 788: LORD RHODES

527)

TOP COPY

1. WE HAVE JUST RECEIVED A LETTER FROM LORD RHODES ADDRESSED TO THE AMBASSADOR GIVING HIS ITINERARY FOR HIS VISIT FROM

1-12 OCTOBER. WE WERE A LITTLE SURPRISED TO DISCOVER FROM THE LETTER THAT MR GOODLAD IS A GOVERNMENT WHIP, AND THAT THE DELEGATION WILL ALSO INCLUDE MR RENTON, YOUR PPS.

2. WE FEAR THAT THE PRESENCE OF THESE TWO DELEGATION MEMBERS CLOSELY ASSOCIATED WITH THE GOVERNMENT WILL MAKE IT VIRTUALLY CERTAIN THAT THE CHINESE WILL TAKE ANYTHING SAID BY THE DELEGATION AS COMING FROM OFFICIAL SOURCES. USE OF INTERMEDIARIES SUCH AS THIS IS A VERY FAMILIAR PLOY TO THEM, AND THEIR APPROACH IS CONSPIRATORIAL. WE HAVE OF COURSE NO REASON TO THINK THAT EITHER MR GOODLAD OR MR RENTON WOULD SAY ANYTHING WHICH WOULD EMBARRASS US, BUT ON PAS, EXPERIENCE WE, AS YOU KNOW, WORRIED ABOUT LORD RHODES.

HKK 040/1 040/1

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

INDEX

3. WE DO NOT KNOW WHAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT THIS AT THIS LATE STAGE. PRESUMABLY THE PERSONS CONCERNED HAVE SOUGHT AND OBTAINED APPROVAL FOR THE VISIT IN THE NORMAL WAY. THE VERY LEAST HOWEVER WOULD SEEM TO BE, EVEN THOUGH IT WILL PUT MESSRS GOODLAD AND RENTON IN AN AWKWARD POSITION, FOR US TO WARN THE CHINESE OFFICIALLY THAT LORD RHODES' VIEWS ARE HIS OWN AND SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN AS HMG'S. THIS MIGHT LIMIT ANY DAMAGE, THOUGH THERE IS STILL THE OBVIOUS DANGER THAT THE CHINESE WILL NOT BELIEVE US.

CLARK

SEP 1983

4 CH16/9

See (53

See

1540

:

LIMITED

HKD

FED

Mr Williams

has seen.

PLANNING STAFF

PUSD

PS

PS/LADY YOUNG PS/MR. LUCE

PS/MR. WHITNEY

PS/PUS

SIR. J. BULLARD

MR. WRIGHT

MR. GIFFARD

MR. DONAND

CONFIDENTIAL