TNAG-1258-FCO40-1591-Third-countries-and-the-future-of-Hong-Kong-1984 — Page 211

27. I SHOULD LIKE TO EMPHASISE THE POINT THAT THE ASEAN PEACE PROPOSAL IS A REALISTIC AND PRACTICAL IDEA BASED UPON THE RECOGNITION OF THE CRUCIAL ROLE OF THE SOVIET UNION AND CHINA WE BELIEVE THAT THE RESOLUTION OF THE KAMPUCHEAN PROBLEM.

CBOTH THE SOVIET UNION AND CHINA BEING RULED BY PRAGMATIC Свот

LEADERS WOULD BE PREPARED FOR A PRAGMATIC SOLUTION THAT WILL

WE ALSO TAKE CARE OF BASIC PRINCIPLES, PRIDE, AND FACE. BELIEVE THAT IN SPITE OF ITS STATEMENTS TO THE CONTRARY THERE IS A LIMIT TO MOSCOW'S CONTINUED SUPPORT FOR VIETNAM IN RESPECT OF KAMPUCHEA, BOTH IN TERMS OF TIME AND THE VALUE OF ITS SUPPORT. LIKEWISE, DESPITE BEIJING'S SEEMING SANGUNENESS ABOUT THE EFFICACY OF ITS BLEED-VIETNAM-WHILE POLICY WE BELIEVE IT IS PREPARED NAY, EAGER, TO SEE AN EARLY POLITICAL RESOLUTION OF THE PROBLEM THEREBY ALLOWING IT TO BE FULLY PREOCCUPIED WITH ITS FOUR MODERNISATIONS PROGRAMME.

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28. IN THIS REGARD I AM ENCOURAGED BY THE TRENDS THAT ARE TAKING PLACE AT THE GLOBAL LEVEL INVOLVING THE SOVIET UNION, CHINA AND THE UNITED STATES THAT I HAD TOUCHED UPON EARLIER. I AM CONVINCED THAT THESE EMERGING TRENDS IN THE RELATIONSHIPS OF THE BIG POWERS MAY OFFER US OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE RESOLUTION

HAVE REFERRED EARLIER ON TO OF THE PROBLEM OF KAMPUCHEA.

THE SLOW BUT DISCERNIBLE IMPROVEMENT OF RELATIONS BETWEEN THE SOVIET UNION AND CHINA, WHICH NO DOUBT, IS MOST WORRYING

I THINK THIS TO THE VIETNAMESE, AS IT IS TO THE AMERICANS. DEVELOPMENT IS SIGNIFICANT ENOUGH FOR THE AMERICANS AND THE

IN THIS REGARD I FIND IT WEST TO SIT UP AND TAKE NOTICE. SIGNIFICANT AND A MATTER OF LITTLE SURPRISE THE SUDDEN ACCOMMODATING POSITION OF THE BRITISH VIS-A-VIS THE CHINESE IN THEIR NEGOTIATIONS ON THE FUTURE STATUS OF HONGKONG. AS A MATTER OF STRATEGIC TRADE-OFF THE ACCOMMODATION ON HONGKONG BY A LEADING ALLY OF THE UNITED STATES MAKES A GREAT DEAL OF SENSE THOUGH I AM SURE THIS WILL BE HOTLY DISPUTED BY THE PEOPLE OF HONGKONG THEMSELVES.

I THINK

29. INDEED IN TALKING ABOUT HONGKONG AND THE ON-GOING NEGOTIATIONS CONCERNING ITS FATE THERE IS A VIEW POINT THAT THE BRITISH HAD IN FACT FORFEITED THEIR CLAIM OF SOVEREIGNTY ON THE COLONY WHEN THEY LEGISLATED. THEIR CONTROVERSIAL NATIONALITY ACT A FEW YEARS AGO WHEN BY A STROKE OF A PEN THEY DEPRIVED THE BRITISH SUBJECTS IN HONGKONG OF THEIR CITIZENSHIP AND TEEMING MILLIONS OF THEIR RIGHT TO BRITISH NATIONALITY. CITIZENSHIP IT MUST BE REMEMBERED IS THE NATURAL CONSEQUENCE OF SOVEREIGNTY. FROM THIS VIEWPOINT HONGKONG IS A MERE TERRITORY WITH A BRITISH ADMINISTRATION.

30. MY OWN READING OF THE SITUATION IS THAT THE PROBLEM OF THE SOVEREIGNTY OF HONGKONG IS BEING HANDLED BY WHITEHALL IN AS BEST INDEED, A MANNER THAT COULD BE HANDLED GIVEN THE CIRCUMSTANCES. LARGELY DUE TO THEIR WISDOM, FORESIGHT AND DIPLOMATIC DEETNESS THE BRITISH APPEARS TO BE PREPARING FOR THIS EVENTUALITY COINCIDING AS IT DOES WITH CHINA'S OWN DESIRE THAT THE PRESENT STATE OF AFFAIRS IN HONGKONG SHOULD SUBSIST WHERE WHILE SOVEREIGNTY SHALL BE RESTORED TO CHINA THE SPECIAL TERRITORY ? WILL CONTINUE UNDER AN ADMINISTRATION BRITISH IN CHARACTER WITH

ITS OWN LAWS, REGULATIONS, ECONOMIC SYSTEM, CIVIL SERVICE AND INTERNAL SECURITY ARRANGEMENTS.