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DESKBY 07123OZ
FROM PEKING 070905Z NOV 83
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 1153 OF 7/11/83
MKKO405
RECEIVED IN MEGISTRY
REPEATED FOR INFO TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG AND PRIORITY
UKREP BRUSSELS
1983
Viken
CHISLY
519 MY TELNO 1149: (NOW REPEATED TO UKREP BRUSSELS):
FUTURE OF HONG KONG: CHINESE REMARKS TO THORN
1. THE DELAY IN RECEIVING A RECORD OF THORN'S DISCUSSIONS ON HONG KONG FORESEEN IN PARA 6 OF TUR DID NOT MATERIALISE. THE RECORD, APPARENTLY PRODUCED BY THORN HIMSELF, WAS PASSED TO US ON 6 NOVEMBER BY KRENZLER, ACTING DEPUTY DG FOR EXTERNAL RELATIONS. KRENZLER STRESSED THAT THE RECORD WAS
FOR HMG'S EYES ONLY. TS CONTENTS WOULD NOT BE INCLUDED
IN THE REPORT OF THORN'S CHINA VISHIT WHICH WOULD BE CIRCULATED BY THE COMMISSION. IT WOULD ONLY BE NOTED THAT HONG KONG'S FUTURE HAD BEEN DISCUSSED. THAT AT LEAST IS HELPFUL.
2. THE TEXT OF THORN'S RECORD WAS IN FRENCH. OUR TRANSLATION
IS IN MIFT.
3. DENG PRESUMABLY SAW THORN'S VISIT AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO PASS A MESSAGE. HE HAD OTHER COMMENTS TO MAKE ON DUTCH ARMS FOR TAIWAN AND NO DOUBT SAW THE CALL BY A COMMUNITY FIGURE, ON WHOSVUE PRECISE POSHITION HE MAY WELL HAVE BEEN VAGUE, AS A CONVENIENT OPPORTUNITY OF KILLING TWO BIRDS WITH ONE STONE. HOWEVER THAT MAY BE, THE TONE OF HIS REMARKS IS DISTURBING. THORN'S RECORD STRENGTHENS MY CONCERN ABOUT DENG'S COMMENTS. HE IS EITHER UNDER A SERIOUS MISAPPREHENSION ABOUT OUR CURRENT POSITION OR (MORE WORRYING) IS DELIBERATELY MISINTERPRETING OUR LATEST APPROACHES. THE RECORD SUGGESTS THAT HE IS FAR
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