TNAG-1257-FCO40-1590-Third-countries-and-the-future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 196

TT PEKING

GRS 492

SECRET

TELELETTER

SECRET

HKKO4Ols

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

- 7 NOV 1983

499

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P

DESK OFFICER

INDEX

PA

REGISTRY

Action Taken

see (601).

FROM A E DONALD, FCO

FILE REFERENCE HKK 040/5 DATED 3 NOOEMBER 1983

FOLLOWING FOR SIR P CRADOCK GCMG, HM AMBASSADOR, PEKING

COPIED TO D M D THOMAS ESQ CMG, WASHINGTON, R J T MCLAREN ESQ

CMG, POLITICAL ADVISER, HONG KONG

BRIEFINGS ON HONG KONG

4911)1.

I WAS GRATEFUL FOR YOUR TELELETTER OF 20 OCTOBER AND ALSO FOR 413DEREK THOMAS'S OF 28 OCTOBER ABOUT MR LUCE'S DISCUSSIONS WITH

44WOLFOWITZ. IN HIS TELELETTER OF 31 OCTOBER ROBIN MCLAREN HAS

ALSO ADDRESSED THE GENERAL PROBLEM OF BRIEFING THE AMERICANS AND

OTHERS.

2.

WE ARE TELEGRAPHING A FULL SUMMARY OF MR LUCE'S DISCUSSION

IN WASHINGTON. THERE IS OF COURSE NO OBJECTION TO YOUR USING

THAT AS THE BASIS FOR ANY CONVERSATION WITH YOUR AMERICAN

COLLEAGUE (OR SO FAR AA HONG KONG ARE CONCERNED, WITH THE

AMERICAN CONSUL GENERAL). IN ADDITION YOU MAY DRAW ON OUR TELNO

481365 TO CANBERRA IN DISCUSSION WITH AMERICAN, AUSTRALIAN, CANADIAN

OR NEW ZEALAND COLLEAGUES.

3.

I SHOULD MAKE CLEAR THAT WE HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THE

ASSUMMPTION THAT BOTH YOU AND HONG KONG WOULD FEEL FREE TO DRAW

ON ANY REPORT OF OUR BRIEFING OF THE CLOSER ALLIES, WHETHER THIS

WERE DONE IN LONDON OR IN ANOTHER CAPITAL, FOR THE PURPOSE OF

TALKING TO YOUR LOCAL COLLEAGUES. IN VIEW OF THE DIFFICULTY

DESCRIBED BY ROBIN MCLAREN IN PARA 3 OF HIS TELELETTER OF 31

OCTOBER, I SHOULD CONFIRM THAT YOU HAVE THAT AUTHORITY NOW AND

IN FUTURE CASES. WE SHALL OF COURSE ENSURE THAT YOU ARE SENT

SUCH REPORTS AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.

4.

ON THE QUESTION OF THE SORT OF HELP WHICH THE AMERICANS

(AND OTHERS) MIGHT BE ABLE TO GIVE US, I TOO SHOULD BE GRATEFUL

FOR ANY FURTHER THOUGHTS WHICH YOU MAY HAVE. OBVIOUSLY, THE

AMERICANS MUST HAVE AS GOOD AN IDEA AS WE CAN GIVE THEM OF THE

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