TNAG-1257-FCO40-1590-Third-countries-and-the-future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 197

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PROGRESS IN THE NEGOTIATIONS, BECAUSE THERE IS SOME PARALLEL IN

THEIR OWN INVOLVEMENT IN THE FUTURE OF TAIWAN, ABOUT WHICH THE

CHINESE WILL WANT TO TALK TO THEM. APART FROM THIS MOTIVE FOR KEEPING THE AMERICANS INFORMED, MY OWN VIEW IS THAT THE TIME TO

ASL FOR ACTUAL ASSISTANCE FROM OUR ALLIES MAY COME A LITTLE LATER

IN THE NEGOTIATION. I CAN WELL SEE THAT, AS A POSSIBLE

ARRANGEMENT FOR HONG KONG BEGINS TO ASSUME SHAPE, WE MAY WISH TO

TELL OUR FRIENDS ABOUT IT AND TO ASK THEM TO GIVE IT AS FAIR A

WIND AS POSSIBLE WHEN IT IS PUBLICLY ANNOUNCED. WE MIGHT ALSO

WANT OUR ALLIES TO INDICATE DISCREETLY TO THE CHINESE THAT THEY

WOULD BE READY TO COOPERATE WITH HONG KONG UNDER THE NEW

ARRANGEMENTS TO THE FULLEST EXTENT POSSIBLE SO LONG AS GENUINE

AUTONOMY WAS MAINTAINED.

5.

FINALLY, WE HAVE TAKEN ON BOARD WHAT ROBIN MCLAREN HAS

SUGGESTED ABOUT THE JAPANESE AND ARE CONSIDERING THIS CAREFULLY.

MY OWN INITIAL VIEW IS THAT WHILE WE OUGHT NOW TO GO A LITTLE

FURTHER WITH THE JAPANESE THEN WE HAVE DONE SO FAR, WE SHOULD

STILL BE RELATIVELY CAUTIOUS OVER THIS BECAUSE JAPANESE INTERESTS

WILL BE PRIMARILY CONCERNED WITH THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH CHINA

OVERALL, RATHER THAN WITH THEIR INVESTMENT IN HONG KONG, OR WITH

THE QUESTION OF CONTINUED BRITISH LINKS WITH HONG KONG.

SIGNED A E DONALD

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