TNAG-1253-FCO40-1586-Third-countries-and-the-future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 61

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GFS 260

SECRET

FM CANBERRA 27023OZ JUL 83

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

SECRET

TELEGRAM NUMBER 369 OF 27 JULY

COPY

INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG (PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR) PEKING (PERSONAL

FOR AMBASSADOR )

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YOUR TELNO 236: HAYDEN PRESS CONFERENCE

1. THANK YOU FOR THIS HELPFUL TELEGRAM, FOR WHICH

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I AM GLAD TO SEE THAT YOU HAVE NOW BEEN ABLE TO GOIVE THE AUSTRALIANS A BIT MORE INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT IS GOING ON. I THINK IT IS PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT THAT WE SHOULD TRY TO BRIEF MR HAYDEN PERSONALLY BEFORE HIS FORTHCOMING VISIT TO PEKING, ESPECIALLY AS HIS VISIT THERE (FROM 3 TO 5 AUGUST) WILL PARTLY OVERLAP WITH OUR NEXT SESSION OF TALKS WITH THE CHINESE ON 2/3 AUGUST. HOWEVER I WILL NOT BE ABLE TO DO THIS HERE AS MR HAYDEN WILL NOT BE RETURNING TO CANBERRA BEFORE HE VISITS PEKING (MY TELNO-349 REFERS). AS SEEN FROM HERE PROBABLY THE BEST OPPORTUNITY FOR BRIEFING HIM WOULD BE WHEN HE TRANSITS HONG KONG. WE HAVE NOW LEARNED FROM HIS OFFICE THAT HE IS DUE TO ARRIVE THERE ON THE EVENING OF 29 JULY AND WILL NOT LEAVE

UNTIL THE EARLY MORNING OF 31 JULY.

2. AS REGARDS PARA 7 OF TUR, FIRST I APOLOGISE FOR THE ASSUMPTION

IN MY TELNO 356 THAT YOU HAD EXPRESSED OUR CONCERN TO AN AUSTRALIAN INTERLOCUTOR. THE ASSUMPTION ORIGINATED FROM A SENIOR MEMBER

OF THE DFA HERE WHO INFORMED MY DEPUTY ON 13 JULY THAT CONCERN HAD BEEN EXPRESSED TO THE AUSTRALIAN HIGH COMMISSION IN LONDON, HE THOUGHT BY YOU. SECOND, THOUGH IT IS NOT IMPORTANT, I CONFIRM THAT MR HAYDEN USED THE WORDS 'REBUKE', 'CONTRITE' AND 'DISCOMFITED'. AS WE WERE ALONE, IN THE NATURE OF THINGS ONLY HE AND I KNOW THIS. ROBERTSON'S ACCOUNT WILL PRESUMABLY 3E BASED ON A TELEGRAM DRAFTED BY PARSONS, WHO TOLD ME THAT

MR HAYDEN HAD CUTLINED OUR CONVERSATION TO HIM ON THE TELEPHONE

FROM BRISBANE.

MASON

LIMITED

HD/HKD HD/FED HD/PUS

PS

PS/MR.LUCE PS/PUS

MR. GIFFARD MR.DONALD MR. WRIGHT

SECRET

COPIES TO:

MR. MARTIN

ASSESSMENT STAFF

CABINET OFFICE

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