TNAG-1260-FCO40-1600-Briefings-for-Ministers-and-FCO-officials-on-the-future-of-H-1983 — Page 73

BACKGROUND

CONFIDENTIAL

1.

Lord Shawcross is going to China on 4 May as the guest of the Chinese People's Institute of Foreign Affairs. He expects to be asked to talk mainly about Hong Kong. He therefore asked whether he could be briefed on the current state of play (his suggestion was that this should be on "Privy Council terms").

2.

He also wrote to Sir P Cradock, who believes it will be important for Lord Shawcross to speak helpfully on Hong Kong, though he is not sure that he will be received at a high enough level to be a really useful interlocutor.

3.

A copy of the notes prepared by the department for the Secretary of State's use when he had lunch with Lord Shawcross last December is attached. Lord Shawcross had been in Hong Kong shortly before this lunch and while there had given several interviews, including one on TVB's "Focus" programme which was reported in the press, and which was generally helpful to HMG.

Hong Kong and General Department

27 April 1983

CONFIDENTIAL