TNAG-1260-FCO40-1600-Briefings-for-Ministers-and-FCO-officials-on-the-future-of-H-1983 — Page 96

BACKGROUND

SECRET

A

1. Lord Shawcross has visited China on several occasions, both

privately and on behalf of Morgan Guaranty for which he is a special

adviser. The Chinese pay him special attention. He is in close

touch with the Chinese Embassy and has been received in China at a high level.

2. Lord Shawcross has a keen interest in Hong Kong, where the

Morgan Bank is active. Following a visit there last autumn (during

which he took a line generally helpful to HMG) Lord Shawcross asked

Mr Pym for an assessment of the Hong Kong situation on 17 December

1982.

3. Lord Shawcross was subsequently briefed on Hong Kong by Mr

Giffard on 28 April 1983 before visiting China in May as the guest

of the Chinese People's Institute of Foreign Affairs. During that

visit Lord Shawcross met Assistant Foreign Minister Zhou Nan, who

spoke about Hong Kong's future, and to whom Lord Shawcross pointed

up the importance of maintaining confidence in Hong Kong.

10 on tikk 027/16

SECRET