TNAG-1253-FCO40-1586-Third-countries-and-the-future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 191

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THIS IS A COPY

THE ORIGINAL HAS BEEN RETAINED IN THE DEPARTMENT UNDER

N Inkster Esq

HA Embassy Peking

SECTION 3 (4) OF THE PUBLIC RECORDS ACT 1958

5-95345

10 April 1983

Hong Kong The views of the Australian

Commission

Thank you for your letter of 13 March. Gary Klintworth whom I know quite well, has slightly exaggerated the extent of his contacts with NCHA. The source of his information is SZETO Keung, who is NCNA's chief "barbarian handler". SZETO and his wife are always to be seen at Consular corps

parties and he makes a great play of enjoying informal contact with the more active individuals among the Consular corps. SZETO has begun to put it about that he is involved in discussions on the future and in the business of managing Hong Kong's relations with China. This is not true, since he is not amongst those with whom we regularly do business.

2.

The figure quoted by SZETO for Britain's earnings from Hong Kong is very similar to an estimate of China's foreign exchange earnings from Hong Kong

which you will, I think, have seen

RPM:Pr

(R P Margolis)

Deputy Political Adviser

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