TNAG-1252-FCO40-1585-Third-countries-and-the-future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 61

Ne

CONFIDENTIAL

TUP COPY

HKK040/5

RECEIVED IN TEN12

117

Soo 118

GR 190

CONFIDENTIAL

FM PEKING 06033OZ APR 83.

TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

TELNO 33 OF 6 APRIL.

PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR FROM AMBASSADOR

FCO TELNO 121 TO CANBERRA: BRIEFING THE AUSTRALIANS

·8 APR 1983

내

CHIRY

1. AM VERY RELUCTANT TO BRIEF THE AUSTRALIAN AMBASSADOR HERE N

THE TERMS AUTHORISED: IT IS NO MORE THAT HE ALREADY KNOWS OR GUESSES, AND HE WILL IMMEDIATELY REALISE THAT HE IS BEING GIVEN A RATHER ANODYNE BRIEFING. SHOULD BE SURPRISED IF THE SAME WERE NOT TRUE OF THE AUSTRALIAN COMMISSIONER IN HONG KONG. DUNN WOULD NO DOUBT SEEK TO PROVE FURTHER AND IT WOULD RAPIDLY BECOME

OBVIOUS THAT I WAS NOT AUTHORISED TO TELL HIM MORE. IF HE REPORTED IN THIS SENSE, IT COULD WELL DEVALUE THE BRIEFING BEING GIVEN IN CANBERRA. ON THE OTHER HAND I SHALL REALLY BE IN TROUBLE WITH DUNN

IF THE AUSTRALIAN COMMISSIONER IN HONG KONG REPORTS THAT HE HAS HAD

A BRIEFING FROM YOU AND I HAVE GIVEN DUNN NOTHING. DO YOU REALLY FEEL IT ESSENTIAL TO BRIEF THE COMMISSIONER IN HONG KONG? I SHOULD MUCH PREFER IT IF NEITHER OF US GAVE A SPECIFIC BRIEFING IN ADVANCE OF THE VISIT.

CRADOCK

LIMITED

HD/HKGD

HD/FED

HD/PUSD

PS/PUS

MR WRIGHT MR GIFFARD MR DONALD

CONFIDENTIAL

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