TNAG-1261-FCO40-1601-Future-of-Hong-Kong-role-of-UK-Ministers-and-senior-official-1983 — Page 12

DSR 11 (Revised)

DRAFT:

FROM:

minute/letter/teleletter/despatch/note

P.U.S.

DEPARTMENT:

TEL. NO:

SIR E YOUDE GCMG MBE

GOVERNOR

HONG KONG

SECURITY CLASSIFICATION

TO:

Top Secret

Secret

Confidential

Restricted

Unclassified

PRIVACY MARKING

SUBJECT:

FUTURE OF HONG KONG

.In Confidence

MINISTERIAL VISITS AND INVOLVEMENT

CAVEAT.......

TYPE: Draft/Final 1+

Reference

Your Reference

Copies to:

SIR P CRADOCK GCMG PEKING

Enclosures-flag(s)...........

1.

Thank you for your letter of 4 June.

It was

helpful to have this comprehensive assessment, particularly

at the present time. I ham also wrw received Parcy Gairch'

I aw witter of 16 fine.

2.

I agree that we need to watch the course of the

talks very carefully and to try to gear our activities

at this end to provide you with the maximum support at

each stage. On your general point I can assure you that

everything possible will be done to ensure that Ministers

In fact the position, as you

Will

Jremain fully involved.

know, is not at all bad at present. Hong Kong not only

has the Prime Minister's close attention but is also

watched very carefully at all levels in the FCO from the

Secretary of State to the Department. I can confidently

say that it has regular senior Ministerial and official

attention.

3.

So far, the lack of progress in the talks has

hardly favoured the Secretary of State's obvious involvement

However I take your point and will do all I can to help

this process. As you know, we have put down a firm marker

for a possible visit to the Far East, including Hong Kong

/and