TNAG-1263-FCO40-1606-Parliamentary-contacts-on-the-future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 132

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GR 250

SECRET

SECRET

FM HONG KONG 1409502 SEP 83

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELEGRAM NUMBER 1351 OF 14 SEPTEMBER

INFO IHMED HATE PEKING (PERSONAL FOR CHARGE)

YOUR TELNO 902: FUTURE OF HONG XONG: MR HEATH'S MEETING WITH UMELCO.

1. NO OFFICIAL WAS PRESENT AT MR HEATH'S MEETING WITH UMELCO WHICH LASTED WELL OVER AN HOUR. MR HEATH'S PARTY LEFT NO RECORD AND THE UMELCO RECORD IS NOT YET AVAILABLE.

2. FROM SUCH ACCOUNT AS WE HAVE SO FAR IT SEEMS THAT MR HEATH MADE THE FOLLOWING POINTS, IN ADDITION TO THOSE WHICH HE MADE TO THE PRESS IN PEKING ABOUT HIS INTERVIEW WITH DENG:

(A) IT WAS NOT THE CHINESE INTENTION TO TAKE ANY ACTION BEFORE 1997:

(B) THE CHINESE WERE FIRM THAT SOVEREIGNTY WAS NOT NEGOTIABLE: AND THERE WAS NO HOPE OF PERSUADING THE CHINESE TO SEPARATE SOVEREIGNTY AND ADMMMSTRATION:

(C) THE CHINESE WOULD F NECESSARY GIVE POLITICS PRIORITY OVER ECONOMICS AND WOULD REGAIN SOVEREIGNTY EVEN IF THIS MEANT SOME LOSS OF PEOPLE FROM HONG KONG AND A DIMINUTION OF ITS USEFULNESS TO THEM. THEY HAD SAND THAT EXPERTISE COULD IN ANY CASE BE BOUGHT: (D) THE ISSUE SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN RAISED SO EARLY: THE CHINESE WOULD HAVE BEEN CONTENT TO LET THINGS GO ON FOR A WHILE YET: (E) THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG WOULD HAVE TO ACCEPT THAT THE CHINESE MEANT WHAT THEY SAND OVER THE RECOVERY OF SOVEREIGNTY:

(F) HE UNDERSTOOD THE ANXIETIES OF PEOPLE ABOUT THE PAST BUT THINGS IN CHINA WERE CHANGING:

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(G) THE CHINESE POSITION IN RESISTING GIVING THE HONG KONG PEOPLE A DIRECT VOICE IN THE NIGOTIATIONS WAS EXPLICABLE BECAUSE THE TREATIES WERE BILATERAL BETWEEN CHINA AND THE U.K.

3. THE ABOVE IS BASED ON ONLY ACCOUNTS OF SOME UNOFFICIALS WHO WERE PRESENT AND PARTICULARLY SIR S.Y. CHUNG. THE MEETING WAS A DIFFICULT ONE (SEE MY TELNO 1344) AND A NUMBER OF UMELCO MEMBERS ADOPTED A CRITICAL AND INTERROGATIVE ATTITUDE ON A NUMBER OF POMATS.

YOUDE

FUTURE OF HONG KONG

LIMITED

HD/HKD

COPIES TO

SIR IAN SINCLAIR LEGAL ADVISER LEGAL ADVISER

MR BURROWS

HD/FED

MR ROBERTS

HD/PLANNING STAFF

MR MARTIN

HD/PUSD

PS

PS/LADY YOUNG

MR FLOWER

PS/MR LUCE

MR COLES

PS/PUS

SIR J BULLARD

MR GIFFARD

MR DONALD

MR WRIGHT

NEWS D

ASSESSMENTS STAFF

CABINET OFFICE

PUSD

NO 10 DOWNING STREET

SIR A PARSONS NO 10 DOWNING STREET

MR WALKER RESEARCH D GOGGS

SECRET

D