TNAG-1253-FCO40-1586-Third-countries-and-the-future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 59

Mr Clift

cc: Mr Hoare

Mrs Priest

Mr Thomson FED

SECRET

216)

Reference

NIKK040/5

FUTURE OF HONG KONG: BRIEFING OTHER GOVERNMENTS

1. We touched on this at your meeting on 25 July and you asked for some thoughts.

In this connection, Mr Elliot's I have just seen today) is relevant.

A

2.

222

minute of 18 July (which

3. If we are to seek to bring other Governments more closely into the picture over our talks with the Chinese › the Prime Minister is going to take some persuading that it would be to our advantage. She took a lot of convincing to bring in the Australians and given Mr Hayden's recent performance in Hong Kong she is unlikely to have been impressed by the result. Let us hope he does better after further briefing during his forthcoming visit to China.

4. The Americans continue to have exchanges with us at top level as and when occasions arise, through Cabinet Office and

between the Department and the US

Embassy here.

5.

I believe we should continue to concentrate on these two Governments, particularly on trying to get our lines straight with the Australians and to improve their understanding of the situation. In addition, like Mr Elliot, I see no reason why we should not consider taking the Canadians more into our confidence. They show a good deal of interest both here and in Hong Kong and have on occasions passed us copies of quite useful telegrams on confidence in Hong Kong. Their perceptions are not always accurate and, like the Australians, there is, I suppose, a danger that they might become disgruntled by not being given more detailed briefing. I know that FED and Research Department keep in touch with the Canadians here. Perhaps we should make a case for Mr Donald to brief a senior member of their staff in the near future.

6. From what I recall, the Prime Minister has been asked in the past about our briefing the Japanese. She is not at all keen

on the idea. They have offered tohelp on several occasions and we have politely declined. We have given them the same sort of bland briefings from time to time that we give to members of other embassies here in London who express general interest. I see no reason for us to make a new case to brief the Japanese more fully at this stage.

7. The only other Asian country to show much interest is Malaysia. The Secretary of State has just seen the Malaysian Foreign Minister and given him a general briefing prior to a possible visit to China in the autumn. For the moment we have not asked that the Malaysians do or say anything particular on our behalf.

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