TNAG-1256-FCO40-1589-Third-countries-and-the-future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 175

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DESKBY 141600Z

FM FCO 141200Z OCT 83

TO IMMEDIATE GABARONE

TELEGRAM NUMBER 167 OF 14 OCTOBER

AND TO INFORMATION PRIORITY PEKING, HONG KONG

YOUR TELNO 192 (NOT TO PEKING OR HONG KONG)

PRESIDENT MASIRE'S VISIT TO CHINA NOVEMBER 1983

BRIEFING ON FUTURE OF HONG KONG

1. YOU MAY BRING PRESIDENT MASIRE UP TO DATE,

DRAWING ON FOLLOWING, WHICH SUPPLEMENTS OUR GUIDANCE TELS 192

OF 20 OCTOBER 1982 AND 083 OF 8 JULY 1983

2.

AS PART OF SECOND PHASE OF CONFIDENTIAL SINO-BRITISH TALKS

MEETINGS HELD IN PEKING 12/13 JULY, 25/26 JULY. 2/3 AUGUST AND

22/23 SEPTEMBER. NEXT ROUND IN PEKING ON 19/20 OCTOBER.

3. GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG CONSULTED THROUGHOUT.

PARTICIPATED IN JULY, AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER SESSIONS.

4. HMG ARE TAKING VIEWS OF PEOPLE OF HONG KONG FULLY INTO ACCOUNT.

MADE KNOWN TO US AND GOVERNOR THROUGH MANY CHANNELS.

MR LUCE VISITED HONG KONG 24-28 SEPTEMBER. GOVERNOR AND

UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS OF HONG KONG'S EXECUTIVE COUNCIL AGAIN VISITED

LONDON FOR DISCUSSIONS WITH MINISTERS 6-8 OCTOBER.

5. HMG'S AIM IN TALKS IS TO REACH A ́SETTLEMENT ACCEPTABLE TO

BRITAIN, CHINA AND THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG.

6. FOR USE ONLY IF PRESSED. ON RECENT CHINESE STATEMENTS ON

THEIR PROPOSALS FOR HONG KONG WE ARE WELL AWARE

OF MAIN LINES OF CHINESE GOVERNMENT'S THINKING. THE PEOPLE OF

HONG KONG ARE WELL ABLE TO JUDGE FOR THEMSELVES WHAT FUTURE

ARRANGEMENT WOULD AND WOULD OR INSPIRE CONFIDENCE.

7.

ON WHY HMG ARE NOT SAYING MORE ABOUT THEIR POSITION IN TALKS.

BY AGREEMENT THE CONTENTS OF THE TALKS ARE

1

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