TNAG-1255-FCO40-1588-Third-countries-and-the-future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 35

CONFIDENTIAL

7. IF ASKED WHETHER HONG KONG WAS DISCUSSED BETWEEN MR TRUDEAU AND MRS THATCHER, DEA ARE SAYING NO.

8. AFTER THE PRESS CONFERENCE HADWEN HAD A CONVERSATION OVER LUNCH WITH ZHU QIZHEN, THE ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND DIRECTOR OF DEPARTMENT OF AMERICAS AND OCEANIA AFFAIRS. HADWEN TOLD HIM THAT MR WU'S REMARKS, WHILE NOT DRAMATIC, STRUCK HIM AS SOMEWHAT DIFFERENT FROM WHAT HE HAD HEARD IN THE PAST, AND WARNED ZHU THAT HE THOUGHT THERE WOULD BE PRESS INTEREST IN TORONTO AND MONTREAL. HE TOLD ZHU WHAT LINE THEY WERE TAKING WITH THE PRESS (PARA 6 ABOVE). HE ASKED ZHU WHAT THE CHINESE MEANT WHEN SAYING THAT QUOTE THEY (HONG KONG) WILL BE ALLOWED TO MAINTAIN THEIR CONTACTS AND RELATIONS WITH FOREIGN COUNTRIES AND DO THE TRANSACTIONS AS USUAL UNQUOTE. HONG KONG HAD SOME USEFUL RELATIONS WITH THE EEC THROUGH BRITAIN'S MEMBERSHIP OF THE EEC. HONG KONG WAS PART OF THE COMMONWEALTH. DID THE CHINESE MEAN THAT SOME OF THESE CONNECTIONS COULD BE MAIN- TAINED? ZHU SAID THAT THEY HAD NEVER THOUGHT OF THAT, AND HE DID NOT KNOW. THEY WOULD HAVE TO THINK ABOUT FINDING THE RIGHT LANGUAGE, AND HOW TO DEAL WITH THOSE QUESTIONS. HADWEN COMMENTS THAT ZHU IS SENIOR, BUT NOT DIRECTLY IN CHARGE OF HONG KONG QUESTIONS.

9. THE DEA HOPE THAT THEIR QUIET LINE WITH THE PRESS WILL BE HELPFUL TO US. BUT THEY WOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR ANY COMMENTRY WE CAN PASS BACK TO THEM ABOUT WU'S LINE, AND ABOUT ANY NEW ELEMENTS IT MAY CONTAIN.

MORAN

FUTURE OF HONG KONG

COPIES TO

LIMITED

NAD

MR BURROWS

SIR IAN SINCLAIR LEGAL ADVISER

LEGAL ADVISER

HD/HKD

HD/FED

MR ROBERTS

NEWS D

HD/PLANNING STAFF

MR MARTIN

ED/FUSD

PS

PS/LADY YOUNG

MR FLOWER

PS/MR LUCE

MR COLES

PS/PUS

SIR J BULLARD

MR GIFFARD

MR DONALD

MR WRIGHT

ASSESSMENTS STAFF

CABINET OFFICE

PUSD

NO 10 DOWNING STREET

SIR A PARSONS NO 10 DOWNING STREET

MR WALKER RESEARCH D OAB

CONFIDENTIAL