TNAG-1253-FCO40-1586-Third-countries-and-the-future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 119

NK

CONFIDENTIAL

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7

Sir Percy Cradock GCMG PEKING

Dear berey,

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

London SW1A 2AH

30 June 1989

MICIOCOLS

RECEIVED IN RADY

་་

- 7 JUL 1983

DESK OPACER INDEX

PA

NC. 51

REGISTRY Aston Taken

HONG KONG: CONTACTS IN WASHINGTON

1.

Thank you for your letter of 14 June. have received a copy of my letter of 2 June

2.

You will by now to Derek Thomas.

As you will have seen from the second sentence of para 2 of my letter, I agree that Ji's remark about acceptability to the people of Hong Kong is significant and suggests that he is being kept well informed. It is not, of course, the first reference we have seen to China's wish to see an outcome which would be in accordance with the Hong Kong people's wishes. But other references have been more oblique.

3. If the need arose to speak to the Chinese through a third capital, I have no doubt that Ji could provide a useful and sensible interlocutor. But we are not at that stage and may never be. All the same, it would be helpful if Washington could keep up this contact, not only for the future but also as a source of possible cross-bearings for the present. Any comment on Hong Kong from someone like Ji will be of interest both to you and us, not to mention the Governor of Hong Kong.

cc;

Sir Edward Youde GCMG MBE, HONG KONG DMD Thomas Esq CMG, WASHINGTON

Mr Clift, HKD

Mr Thomson, FED

wver,

Yours

Alan

A E Donald

CONFIDENTIAL