537
CONFIDENTIAL
DD 01010OZ HONG KONG
GRS214
CONFIDENTIAL
DESKBY 0101002 HONG KONG
DESKBY 010200Z PEKING
FM FCO 301500Z SEP 83
TO IMMEDIATE PEKING
TELEGRAM NUMBER 653 OF 30 SEPTEMBER
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
TOP COPY
21702
596
HKK 040/1.
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
3 OCT 1983
DESK OFFICER INDEX
REGISTRY
PA
Action Taken
OUR TELNO 595: LORD RHODES
1.
LORD RHODES SAW CLIFT ON 22 SEPTEMBER BEFORE HIS CALL ON
LADY YOUNG. HE WAS ACCOMPANIED BY LADY LLEWLLYN DAVIES, MISS
WOOD OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM, ROGER SIMS MP AND BILL BENYON MP,
THE CONSERVATIVE BACKBENCHERS (BOTH MEMBERS OF THE HONG KONG
PARLIAMENTARY GROUP) WHO WILL NOW ACCOMPANY HIM TO CHINA.
2. HE SEEMED RECEPTIVE TO POINTS MADE AND SHOULD NOW BE IN NO
DOUBT ABOUT THE DELICACY OF THE TALKS ON HONGKONG AND THE NEED
TO AVOID RAISING HONG KONG'S FUTURE IN CHINA, WHERE HE MAY SEE
LI XIANNIAN. LADY YOUNG HAS UNDERLINED THIS POINT SEPARATELY TO
LADY LLEWELLYN-DAVIES.
3. WE HAVE GIVEN EACH MEMBER OF THE PARTY A LIST OF DEFENSIVE
POINTS TO MAKE (ON PLAIN PAPER) IN CASE THEY ARE PRESSED TO
DISCUSS HONG KONG. THESE RELATE SOLELY AND IN A VERY GENERAL
WAY, TO THE BASIS FOR CONFIDENCE IN HONG KONG AND THE IMPORTANCE
HMG ATTACH TO GOOD SINO-BRITISH RELATIONS.
4. LORD RHODES HAS ALSO BEEN GIVEN A NOTE ON CHINA'S SOUTH WEST
ENERGY RESOURCES. WE HAVE SAID IT WOULD BE HELPFUL IF HE WERE
ABLE TO ASCERTAIN CURRENT CHINESE THINKING ON THIS AND ON
POSSIBLE SCOPE FOR BRITISH INDUSTRIAL PARTICIPATION.
HOWE
DISTRIBUTION:-
LIMITED
HKD
FED
PS
PS/LADY YOUNG
PS/MR LUCE
PS/MR WHITNEY
PS/PUS
MR GIFFARD
MR DONALD
.
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