TNAG-1253-FCO40-1586-Third-countries-and-the-future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 88

6. I THEN SPOKE AS IN PARA 2 OF TUR

WE WOULD

I THOUGHT THAT

I ENQUIRED WHAT LINE MR HAYDEN HAD IT IN MIND TO TAKE IN PEKING, AND EXPRESSED THE PERSONAL HOPE THAT BEFORE HE WENT THERE BRING HIM UP TO DATE ON OUR OWN TALKS IN PEKING. THIS COULD POSSIBLY BE DONE DURING HIS STOPOVER IN HONG KONG BEFORE LEAVING FOR PEKING. MR HAYDEN SAID THAT HE WOULD WELCOME SUCH BRIEFING. FOR HIS PART, HE INTENDED MERELY TO ENQUIRE IN PEKING HOW THINGS WERE GOING.

7. COMMENT

FIRST, MR HAYDEN SAW ME ALONE. I SUGGEST THAT HIS FRANK EXPRESSION OF REGRET AND ADMISSION OF HIS ERROR IS A MEASURE OF THE QUALITY OF THE MAN, AND OF HIS WISH TO BE HELFPUL.

6. SECOND, PARA 3 OF TUR. I AM SEEING PARSONS ON 15 JULY TO GO OVER THE GROUND, AND BELIEVE THIS WILL BE MORE USEFUL THAN AN APPROACH TO YEEND. PERHAPS MR HAYDEN'S EXPERIENCE WILL ANYHOW MAKE HIM AND HIS COLLEAGUES MORE CAUTIOUS ABOUT WHAT THEY SAY IN PUBLIC IN FUTURE.

9. THIRD, I VERY STRONGLY RECOMMEND THAT IF WE ARE TO KEEP THE AUSTRALIANS ON OUR SIDE, AND ALSO BENEFIT FROM THEIR APPARENTLY IMPROVING RELATIONSHIP WITH THE CHINESE, WE SHOULD BRIEF THEM MORE FULLY IN THE FUTURE THAN WE HAVE DONE IN THE PAST. IF IT IS DECIDED THAT THIS IS INADVISABLE, THEN WE SHOULD SAY NOTHING TO THEM RATHER THAN CONTINUE TO FOB THEM OFF WITH SCRAPS (CF IN THIS CONTEXT MY LETTER TO YOU OF 17 JUNE ABOUT WILLIAMSBURG).

MASON

FUTURE OF HONG KONG

LIMITED

ED/EKD

SIR I SINCLAIR LEGAL ADVISER

COPIES TO:

ED/FED

MR BURROWS

ED/PLANNING STAFF

MR MARTIN

ELD/PUSD

PS

MR FLOWER

MR COLES

PS/LADY YOUNG

PSAR LUCE

PS/PUS

SIR J BULLARD

MR GIFFARD

MR DONALD

MR WRIGHT

2

SECRET

LEGAL ADVISERS ASSESSMENTS STAFF CABINET OFFICE

PUSD

NO 10 DOWNING ST

SIR A PARSONS

MR WALKER,

IT

RESEARCH DEPT (G0995)

MR ROBERTS NEWS D

THIS IS A COPY

THE ORIGINAL HAS BEEN RETAINED IN THE DEPARTMENT UNDER

SECTION 3 (4) OF THE PUBLIC RECORDS ACT 1958