TNAG-1257-FCO40-1590-Third-countries-and-the-future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 214

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PEKING TL

TO FCO

WASHINGTON

HONG KONG

SECRET

Mr Clift has seen

GRS 300

SECRET

TELELETTER

Mickogels

NEGÊNEO IN ARGHATAY JOV 1083

Mr. Cufr

See (493)

#квери

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Please speak

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(601

FROM:- SIR PERCY CRADOCK PEKING

FILE REF 020/393/9 DATED 20 OCTOBER 1983

FOLLOWING FOR:- A DONALD ESQ., AUSS FCO

Astrald

29/20

со

COPIED TO:-

D THOMAS ESQ WASHINGTON

R MCLAREN ESQ.,HONG KONG

....

I HAVE SEEN YOUR TELELETTER OF 14 OCTOBER TO DEREK THOMAS

ML ABOUT YOUR NEXT VISIT TO THE UNITED STATES FOR DISCUSSIONS MON ASIA, AND HIS REPLY OF 18 OCTOBER.

2. WE HAVE BEEN BECOMING A LITTLE CONCERNED HERE

THAT WE HAVE NOT RECENTLY BROUGHT THE AMERICANS UP TO DATE IN DETAIL WITH THE STATE OF OUR NEGOTIATIONS. AS YOU WILL RECALL WE ORIG- INALLY BRIEFED SCHULTZ VERY THOROUGHLY IN WASHINGTON ON MRS THATCHER'S DISCUSSIONS HERE LAST AUTUMN. THE LATEST

OCCASION ON WHICH WE HAVE GIVEN THEM ANY BRIEFING,

AND IT WAS NOT AT ALL DETAILED, WAS ON 30 SEPTEMBER WHEN THE GOVERNOR BRIEFED WEINBERGER'S PARTY IN HONG KONG,

WE THINK THAT IT WOULD BE ADVISABLE TO BRING THEM CLOSER INTO OUR

CONFIDENCE FOLLOWING THE MEETINGS ON 19-20 OCTOBER. THIS WOULD BE A GOOD MOMENT, AS HOPEFULLY THAT SESSION WILL MARK A CHANGE OF COURSE. WITH THE PROSPECT OF SOME REAL PROGRESS IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE AMERICANS WILL BE ABLE TO GIVEE US SOME CONCRETE HELP, AND IT IS RELEVANT THAT ZHAO WILL BE GOING TO THE UNITED STATES IN JAE, 9CY AND PRESIDENT REAGAN COMING HERE NEXT SPRING.

IN THE LONG RUNG IF WE DO EVENTUALLY REACH

AGREEMENT WITH THE CHINESE ON ARRANGEMENTS FOR HONG KONG AS A

SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION, WE SHALL NEED UNDERSTANDING AND

SUPPORT FROM THE AMERICANS, AND OTHERS - IN MAINTAINING HONG KONG'S

ACCESS TO THEIR MARKETS ON THE UNDERSTANDING THAT PEKING DOES

NOT VIOLATE THE AGREEMENT. I THEREFORE HOPE THAT FOLLOWING THIS

SESSION YOU WILL GIVE DEREK THOMAS AUTHORITY TO SPEAK IN WASHINGTON, AND MYSELF AND THESGOVERNOR TO DO SO IN PEKING

AND HONG KONG RESPECITVELY, AND TO GIVE A FAIRLY DETAILED ACCOUNT.

3. WE ALSO WONDER WHETHER, IN VIEW OF WHITEHEAD'S (TOKYO) LETTER 020/15 OF 26 SEPTEMBER TO ROBIN MCLAREN THE TIME HAS NOT COME

TO TAKE THE JAPANESE A LITTLE MORE INTO OUR CONFIDENCE. THEY HAVE FREQUENT CONTACTS WITH THE CHINESE AND VERY STRONG INTERESTS IN HONG KONG. APART FROM THE NEW JAPANESE CONSUL GENERAL IN HONG KONG, THEY HAVE AN EXCELLENT MINISTER HERE WITH WHOM WE HAVE GOOD CON-

TACTS. I DO NOT THINK THAT WE SHOULD NECESSARILY TELL THEM EVERYTHING THAT WE TELL THE AMERICANS, BUT I THINK THAT THEY SHOULD PROBABLY BE GIVEN A FAIRLY PRIVILEGED BRIEFING.

SIGNED................

NNNN

SIR P CRADDOCK