TNAG-1256-FCO40-1589-Third-countries-and-the-future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 10

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HONG KONG

1. Mr Wilson, Political Counsellor at the Australian Embassy, briefed me on their official consultations last week with the Japanes (led by Nakajima).

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2. Wilson said they found Nakajima's presentation on Hong Kong "rather peculiar". They had hitherto completely failed to get any- thing out of the Japanese on Hong Kong and had seen the talks as an ideal opportunity to explore Japanese thinking. In the event, howeve Nakajima announced that he did not want to say anything about Hong Kong. Though they were in contact with the British they did not know anything about the negotiations and did not want to comment on them. They had been encouraged "to keep their mouths shut and their hands busy" The sensitivity of the negotiations. was such that any comment the Japanese did make could be misconstrued and prove counterproducti 3.

Nakajima added that they were telling Japanese businessmen not to do anything to upset commercial confidence in Hong Kong, nor to be discouraged by short term fluctuations in the business. climate there. 4. I will be reporting this to London and posts together with the rest of the briefing. It seemed worth recording separately as an illustration of the fact that the Japanese appear to have taken our message on board.

Kim Danach

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CONFIDENTIAL

the face of is, just chav.

NK Darroch

20 October 1983

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