TNAG-1257-FCO40-1590-Third-countries-and-the-future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 108

3. IT WAS ALSO STATED BY THE CHINESE, THOUGH BY DENG OR WU WAS NOT CLEAR, THAT THE CHINESE WANTED A JOINT COMMUNIQUE IN

TEMBER 1984, OTHERWISE THEY WOULD BREAK OFF NEGOTIATIONS AND WAIT UNTIL HONG KONG BECAME THE IRS BY THE PASSAGE OF TIME, IE THE EXPIRATION OF THE LEASE.

4. THORN HAD REPLIED THAT HONG KONG WAS NOT HIS BUSINESS AND THAT HIS ONLY INTEREST WAS IN HAVING A GOOD AND POSITIVE OUTCOME. HONG KONG WOULD, HOWEVER, BE A TEST QUESTION AS SHOWING WHETHER THE CHINESE REALLY WISHED TO COOPERATE WITH EUROPE.

5. IN ANSWER TO MY QUESTION ON WHAT WAS MEANT BY CO-ADMINISTRATION, THORN QUOTED DENG AS SAYING THAT AT FIRST THE BRITISH

PROPOSAL HAD BEEN FOR A DIVISION OF SOVERIENGTY AND ADMINISTRATION. THAT WOULD NOT DO. THERE WAS THEN A LATER SUGGESTION OF GIVING CERTAIN ADMINISTRATIVE POSTS, EG POLICE AND LAW, TO THE

BRITISH. THIS WOULD NOT DO EITHER.

6. THE ACCOUNT BY THORN WAS FOR FROM CLEAR, BUT I DID NOT WANT TO SEEK ANY FURTHER EXPANSION OR CLARIFICATION IN FRONT OF MY EUROPEAN COLLEAGUES. SINCE THORN WAS MOVING ON TO ANOTHER

ENGAGEMENT I CONFINED MYSELF TO ASKING FOR A COPY OF THE RELEVANT PART OF THE RECORD. THIS THORN PROMISED ME BUT HIS STAFF WILL NOT HAVE IT READY UNTIL THEY ARE BACK IN BRUSSELS. THEY PROMISED TO TELEGRAPH IT. GRATEFUL IF WE COULD MAKE URGENT CONTACT WITH THEM IN BRUSSELS.

COMMENT

7. THE ABOVE IS UNFORTUNATE IN A NUMBER OF RESPECTS:-

(A)

DENG SEEMS TO HAVE CHOSEN TO RESPOND TO DELICATE

(B)

| Done.

AND INFORMAL BILATERAL SOUNDINGS BY SEMI-PUBLIC REMARKS

TO A THIRD PARTY:

THORN CARRIED ON THE GOOD WORK BY REPORTING TO ALL

ASSEMBLED EC AMBASSADORS INSTEAD OF BILATERALLY TO US: