TNAG-1249-FCO40-1563-Press-reports-on-the-future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 54

295)

GR 180

CONFIDENTIAL

FM PEKING 08022OZ NOV 83

TO PRIORITY FCO

CONFIDENTIAL

TELEGRAM NUMBER 1155 OF 8 NOVEMBER

INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG

TOP COPY

206 YOUR TELNO 761: FUTURE OF HONG KONG: PRESS COVERAGE

1. WE TOO HAD NOTED REPORTS THAT VILLORUSMINISTER,

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY NOV 1983

DESK OFFICER

HY

PA

Acti

Taken

INDEX

QIAN QICHEN, HAD SAID THAT NEGOTIATIONS ''COULD' CONTINUE BEYOND THE SEPTEMBER 1964 DEADLINE. QIAN'S RESPONSIBILITIES AT THE MFA ARE PRINCIPALLY FOR SOVIET AND EAST EUROPEAN AFFAIRS. HE IS ALSO THE MINISTER RESPONSIBLE FOR THE INFORMATION DEPARTMENT. TO THE BEST OF OUR KNOWLEDGE HE HAS NO DIRECT INVOLVEMENT IN THE HONG KONG ISSUE. WE ARE THEREFORE INCLINED NOT TO ATTACH TOO MUCH SIGNIFICANCE TO HIS REMARKS

ON THE MATTER.

2. 1 RAISED QIAN'S REMARKS WITH LUO JIAHUAN AT THE WELCOMING BANQUET FOR MR WALKER. LUO WAS MYSTIFIED AND THOUGHT THAT REPORTS OF THE DEADLINE BEING DROPPED WERE GROUNDLESS. 3. DENG'S REMARKS TO THORN ARE CERTAINLY AUTHORITATIVE, AND APPEAR TO ENVISAGE A RIGID DEADLINE OF SEPTEMBER 1984. IF DENG DOES ENVISAGE TALKS GOING ON BEYOND THAT DATE (HK TELNO 1684) IT PROBABLY MEANS NO MORE THAN THAT DENG IS THINKING OF AN ANNOUNCEMENT IN BROAD PRINCIPLES OF A SETTLEMENT WITH SOME OF THE DETAIL TO BE WORKED OUT LATER. THIS MAY ALSO BE WHAT QIAN QICHEN WAS THINKING OF.

4. IN SUM, WE AS YET SEE NO EVIDENCE THAT THE CHINESE POSITION ON THE DEADLINE IS SOFTENING.

з смеш

CRADOCK

FUTURE OF HONG KONG

PILLOMASED

9/FD

ED/PLANNING STAFF

ED/PUSD

COPIES TO: (VIA DISTR. FOOM)

SIR PEILIP CORE BUCKINGHAM PALAC PS/LORD PRESIDENT OF THE-COUNCIL PS/HOME SECRETARY

PS/CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER PS/LORD PRIVY SEAL

PS/SECRETARY FOR TRADE AND

D/HD/PUSD (LR FLOWER)

RESEARCH DPT(MR WALKER)

LEGAL ADVISER (SIR IAN SINCLAIR)

PS

FS/LADY YOUNG

PSAR LUCE

PS/PUS

THIS TELEGRAM

SIR J SULLARD

MR GARD

MR DONALD

MR WRIGHT

WAS NOT ADVANCED

CONFIDENTIAL

INDUSTRY

COPIES TO:

(VIA ADR)

NEWS DEPT

MR ROBERTS

MA BURROWS LEGAL ADVISERS MR COLES NO 10 DOWNING ST

SIR A PARSONS

MR MARTIN

MR GOODALL

HYE BRENNAN

ASSESSMENT STAFF

CABINET OFFICE. CABINET OFFICE

П

PS/S OF S FOR DEFENCE PS/ATTORNEY GENERAL