TNAG-1252-FCO40-1585-Third-countries-and-the-future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 150

(541

HKK

04011

1982

2. I SHOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR YOUR GUIDANCE. GIVEN THE NATURE OF THE GROUP, IT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO HEAR WHAT OTHERS HAD TO SAY, AND TO DECLINE WITHOUT GOOD EXCUSE MIGHT SEEM SLIGHTLY AWKWARD. IT MIGHT BE BETTER TO ATTEND WHILE MAKING IT QUITE CLEAR IN ADVANCE THAT I WOULD HAVE NOTHING TO SAY ABOUT OUR NEGOTIATING POSITION OR OUR TALKS WITH THE CHINESE SO FAR. IT MIGHT BE USEFUL ON THE OTHER HAND TO GO OVER THE BACKGROUND TO THE TREATIES (CLIFT'S LETTER JKK 040/1 TO ME OF 18 AUGUST), SOME OF THE BACKGROUND TO THE CHINESE POSITION OVER THE YEARS (FOR EXAMPLE, AS CONTAINED IN THE RECORD OF THE GOVERNOR'S TALK WITH CONGRESSMAN ADDABBO AND OTHERS AND TO DESCRIBE THE FACTORS AFFECTING CONFIDENCE IN HONG KONG. I COULD MAKE THE POINT THAT THE UNITED KINGDOM HAD NO FINANCIAL BENEFIT FROM THE TERRITORY, BUT THAT THOSE COUNTRIES WITH INTEREST IN THE CONTINUED ECONOMIC PROSPERITY OF THE REGION ALSO HAD AN INTEREST IN MAINTAINING A GOVERNMENT IN HONG KONG WHICH WOULD PERMIT FREE ECONOMIC ACTIVITY. YOU MIGHT WISH TO SUGGEST OTHER POINTS.

3. ALL THE ABOVE COULD BE DONE ON A PERSONAL BASIS, DRAWING TO A LARGE EXTENT ON THE PRIME MINISTER'S PRESS CONFERENCES AND ON RECENT PRESS ARTICLES.

4. ALTHOUGH I UNDERSTAND THE INHIBITIONS THERE IS LIKELY TO BE A CONTINUED LOW LEVEL DEMAND FOR LECTURES ON THIS SUBJECT AS INTEREST HERE FOCUSES ON THE TALKS IN PEKING. WE OUGHT IN ANY CASE TO DEVELOP A LITTLE SPIEL, HOWEVER INNOCUOUS, WITH WHICH WE COULD RESPOND TO SUCH REQUESTS AT AN APPROPRIATE LEVEL. WITH THE CHINESE OBVIOUSLY PREPARED TO TALK ABOUT IT AROUND TOWN, I THINK WE MIGHT APPEAR EXCESSIVELY DEFENSIVE IF WE REFUSED ALL SUCH REQUESTS.

I HAVE DISCUSSED THIS WITH DEREK THOMAS WHO AGREES THAT IF POSSIBLE WE SHOULD RESPOND POSITIVELY.

SIGNED SJ GOMERSALL

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