TNAG-1253-FCO40-1586-Third-countries-and-the-future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 139

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.THE ORIGINAL HAS BEEN RETAINED IN THE DEPARTMENT UNDER SECTION 3 (4) OF THE PUBLIC RECORDS ACT 1958

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00 CANBERRA

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FM FCO 24180OZ JUN 83

TO IMMEDIATE CANBERRA

TELEGRAM NUMBER 215 OF 24 JUNE

INFO ROUTINE HONG KONG (PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR)

ROUTINE PEKING (PERSONAL FOR AMBASSADOR)

FOR CULLIMORE FROM DONALD

MIPT: VISIT OF MR HAYDEN TO HONG KONG

1.

I EXPLAINED TO SIR VICTOR GARLAND MY CONCERN

IT WAS IMPORTANT TO STRIKE A PROPER BALANCE, THOUGH

HE SHOULD UNDERSTAND THAT WE WERE UNDER A TIGHT CONSTRAINT TO KEEP

KNOWLEDGE ON THIS SUBJECT EXTREMELY CLOSE. ONLY THE AMERICANS

AND THE AUSTRALIANS WERE BEING KEPT INFORMED AT A VERY HIGH

LEVEL.

2.

SINCE MID-APRIL, WHEN MR HAYDEN WAS BRIEFED BY SIR J MASON,

PROGRESS IN OUR TALKS WITH THE CHINESE HAD CONTINUED TO BE SLOW.

MEETINGS CONTINUED THROUGH DIPLOMATIC CHANNELS IN PEKING. THE

AMBASSADOR'S INTERLOCUTOR WAS A VICE MINISTER WHO STUCK FAST TO

HIS BRIEF AND WAS UNABLE TO TAKE DECISIONS HIMSELF. FOR A WHILE

CHINESE PROPAGANDA HAD BEEN AIMED AT IMPLYING THAT WE HAD ALREADY

CONCEDED SOVEREIGNTY. (IT HAD PREVIOUSLY SUGGESTED THAT TALKS

HAD STALLED BECAUSE THE BRITISH WERE BEING INTRANSIGENT.) IN

RECENT WEEKS HOWEVER THE CHINESE HAD TONED DOWN THEIR PROPAGANDA

AND, IN AN APPARENT EFFORT TO GET INTO MORE SUBSTANTIVE TALKS,

HAD SHOWN A LITTLE FLEXIBILITY,

3. I MADE IT CLEAR AT THIS POINT THAT THIS APPARENT CHINESE

MOVEMENT HAD NOT, REPEAT NOT, BEEN CAUSED BY ANY CONCESSION ON

OUR PART. IN SPITE OF SOME TOUGH TALKING OVER THE PAST NINE

MONTHS, WE HAD GIVEN NOTHING AWAY. WE AND THE CHINESE HAD

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