TNAG-1263-FCO40-1606-Parliamentary-contacts-on-the-future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 13

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SIR ROBIN DAY

rightly that there ought to be a

British presence.

And a free society with a rule of independant courts and a free press

and all that or not?

GEORGE WALDEN M.P.

Robin has touched on some of the points which are most sensitive and no doubt are worrying the Chinese a lot because they have a slightly different system

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if I can just say I don't think that there should be any question need be any question of handing the territory over to a totalitarian regime but there is no dodging the issue that it is very close to mainland China, that part of it is actually part of mainland China and whatever our principles are or our political convictions we must take

account of that.

SIR ROBIN DAY

KEN RITCHIE

Come in later Bernard, I want to bring back Mr. Ritchie who asked the question.

Sir.

Thank you.

I am just rather concerned over what Mr. Walden has been saying because certain British governments said that it was negotiating with Argentina prior to 1982, obviously the Argentinians didn't think we were negotiating very seriously and it appears now that the Chinese don't think that we are negotiating terribly seriously.