TNAG-1253-FCO40-1586-Third-countries-and-the-future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 73

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A HAYDEN: I THINK THE PROBLEM ABOUT THE FUTURE ISNT SO MUCH OVER SOVEREIGNTY BUT OVER AUTHORITY AND ADMINISTRATION OR THE QUESTIONS WILL BE, BUT I REALLY THINK THEY ARE MATTERS THAT THE BRITISH AUTHORITIES WOULD BE BETTER QUALIFIED TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT AND IF. YOU ARE WITH ME IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS TIME WHEN WE GO INTO CHINA THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES BECAUSE WHEN I GO THERE I WILL CERTAINLY BE RAISING KAMPUCHEA AS ONE OF THE MAJOR ISSUES OF CON CERN AP ART FROM OUR BILATERAL RELATIONSHIPS BUT I WILL ALSO BE RAISING THIS MATTER ONCE AGAIN.

QUESTION: ON KAMPUCHEA YOU WERE QUOTED AS SAYING IN BANGKOKG THAT THERE WAS EVIDENCE THAT PEKING WAS TOUGHENING ITS STAND ON KAMPUCHEA. CAN YOU EXP AND ON THAT?

MR HAYDEN: I COULD BUT I WONT. 1 POINTED OUT IN BANGKOK THAT THAT WAS INFORMATION WE HAD CABLED THROUGH TO US AND IT REFERRED TO CERTAIN VIEWS WHICH HAD BEEN EXPRESSED VERY FIRMLY, QUITE UN AMBIGUOUSLY, BY THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES.

QUESTION: MR HAYDEN, I KNOW YOU HAVE NOT ADDRESSED THE PROBLEM OF A POSSIBLE REFUGEE OUTFLOW BUT IS IT POSSIBLE IN A GENERAL WAY TO SUGGEST WHAT THE CONSEQUENCES COULD BE IF THE TRANSITION DOES NOT GO SMOOTHLY?

MR HAYDEN : IF I WAS CONCERNED THAT THIS WAS A PROBABILITY THAT SHOULD BE ADDRESSED SERIOUSLY AT THIS POINT I WOULD. I DONT BELIEVE -THAT THAT IS SO. I BELIEVE TO TALK ABOUT THAT IT WOULD ONLY ADD

TO INSTABILITY AND YOU WILL NOTE FROM WHAT I HAVE SIAD THAT I HAVE SOUGHT TO SHORE UP CONFIDENCE IN THIS REGION. HONG KONG WENT THROUGH A PERIOD OF UNCERTAINTY WHICH WAS REFLECTED IN THE PLUMMETING EXCHANGE RATE. NOW THAT IS A COST THAT PEOPLE HAVE TO BEAR. ONE WAY OR ANOTHER WE DONT WANT THAT TO HAPPEN AS A RESULT OF ANYTHING THAT I SAY BECAUSE I DONT THINK IT IS JUSTIFIED IN OCCURING.

QUESTION: ARE YOU SATISFIED ABOUT THE AMOUNT OF INFORMATION YOU ARE RECEIVING FROM BOTH SIDES ON THE NEGOTIATIONS?

MR HAYDEN: WELL WHAT WE HAVE BEEN RECEIVING HAS BEEN HELPFUL BUT I DONT KNOW JUST HOW MUCH MORE EITHER SIDE MIGHT HAVE BUT HAS NOT DECIDED TO TELL US. WE DONT TELL OTHER PEOPLE EVERYTHING THAT WE KNOW. FOR INSTANCE, THERE ARE QUITE A FEW THINGS I KNOW FROM THIS TRIP THAT I HAVENT TOLD YOU PEOPLE.

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