TNAG-1251-FCO40-1584-Third-countries-and-the-future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 51

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3. SHULTZ CONCLUDED BY SAYING HE WOULD LIKE TO TALK AGAIN BEFORE HIS VISIT TO PEKING. IN THE MEANTIME HE WOULD CONSIDER

WHAT ELSE THEY COULD DO TO HELP.

4. 1 THEN CALLED ON VICE PRESIDENT BUSH WHO WAS SIMILARLY APPRECIATIVE. HE ASKED A NUMBER OF QUESTIONS ABOUT THE BACKGROUND TO THE PROBLEM AND THOUGHT THAT THE HONG KONG CHINESE PROBABLY OFFERED THE BEST AVENUE OF INFORMAL COMMUNICATION.

5. THIS WAS A MOST USEFUL EXERCISE. WHICH HAD INCIDENTAL BENEFITS FOR OUR BILATERAL RELATIONS IN THE LIGHT OF RECENT PROBLEMS. THE AMERICANS WERE CLEARLY AWARE OF THE BROAD NATURE OF THE PROBLEMS CONFRONTING US AND, WHILE ANXIOUS NOT TO INTERFERE, ARE OBVIOUSLY WILLING TO SHARE INFORMATION AND IDEAS WITH US. IT WAS ALSO VALUABLE TO HAVE DONALD HERE TO PROVIDE AN EXPERT VIEW OF THE PROBLEM, AND HE WAS ABLE TO HAVE PROFITABLE CONVERSATIONS ON THE SIDE WITH US GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS. I HOPE YOU WILL AUTHORISE ME

IF TO BRIEF SHULTZ AGAIN BEFORE HIS VISIT TO PEKING AND, DEVELOPMENTS MERIT IT, TO CONSIDER MAKING DONALD AVAILABLE AGAIN.

WRIGHT

FUTURE OF HONG KONG

LIMITED

HDHX & GD

COPIES TO

SIR I SINCLAIR

HD/FED

MR ROBERTS

LEGAL ADVISER

NEWS D

HD/PLANNING STAFF HD/PUSD

PS

PS/LORD BELSTEAD

PS/PUS

MR GIFFARD

MR DONALD

MR COLES

MR MARTIN

NO 10 DOWNING STREET

ASSESSMENTS STAFF

CABINET OFFICE

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