TNAG-1252-FCO40-1585-Third-countries-and-the-future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 115

Г

никочо 15

MAR 1983

SECRET DEDIP

TOL

THAT THE A

تار

8499 1

(85

GRS 328

DEDIP

SECRET

FM FCC 181900Z MARCH 83

TO ROUTINE CANBERRA

m

TELEGRAM NUMBER 38 OF 18 MARCH 1983

AND ROUTINE TO HONG KONG

ем

Mr Anis

Baskin

AND ROUTINE TO PEKING (PERSONAL FOR AMBASSADOR)

PERSONAL FOR HIGH COMMISSIONER FROM DONALD

CHINESE PREMIER'S VISIT TO AUSTRALIA

3rd cambres

Sol

121/3

1. WE HAVE BEEN THINKING ABOUT PREMIER ZHAO'S VISIT TO AUSTRALIA

IN APRIL (WE UNDERSTAND PROBABLE DATES ARE 18 TO 22 APRIL) AND

THE POSSIBILITY THAT IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER THE SUBJECT OF HONG

KONG'S FUTURE WILL CROP UP.

2. IT MAY WELL BE THAT THE AUSTRALIANS WILL OF THEIR OWN ACCORD, GIVEN THEIR INTEREST IN THE SUBJECT, TACKLE ZHAO. IN THAT CASE IT WOULD CLEARLY BE RIGHT TO CONSIDER OFFERING THE

AUSTRALIANS AT THE APPROPRIATE LEVEL

A BRIEFING ON THE SITUATION, SUGGESTING SOME

DEFENSIVE TALKING POINTS. BUT WE MUST CONSIDER WHETHER THERE

WOULD BE ANY ADVANTAGE TO US IN SUGGESTING MORE

POSITIVE POINTS THEY MIGHT MAKE.

3. MUCH WILL DEPEND ON THE STATE OF PLAY NEARER THE TIME IN

OUR TALKS WITH THE CHINESE. A FURTHER FACTOR IS THE DEGREE OF WILLINGNESS ON THE PART OF THE NEW AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT TO MAKE

POINTS ON BEHALF OF THE UNITED KINGDOM. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT SINCE WE HAVE ALREADY GIVEN SOME BRIEFING THROUGH SIR G YEEND, WHO WE ASSUME WILL HAVE TOLD MESSRS. HAWKE AND HAYDEN, THE AUSTRALIANS MIGHT WELCOME SOME GENERAL POINTS TO DEPLOY IN DISCUSSION. IN VIEW OF AUSTRALIA'S SIZEABLE INVESTMENTS IN HONG KONG, THEY MAY WISH TO HIGHLIGHT THE REASONS FOR HONG KONG'S SUCCESS AND THE NEED FOR STABILITY AND CONTINUITY.

4.

THE SUBJECT IS STILL IMMENSELY DELICATE AND WE SHOULD

NEED TO SEEK THE VIEWS OF THE PRIME MINISTER ABOUT HOW FAR

89

98

1

SECRET DEDIP

SHE