TNAG-1263-FCO40-1606-Parliamentary-contacts-on-the-future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 159

Mur Clift

Мик

Psfir. Lace

SECRET

The move the briefings M in the right way. the better

Dund

FROM:

H B WARREN-GASH

DATE:

7 September 1983

ANTONY ACLAND

Mr Clift, HKD

cc: Private Secretary

PS/PUS←

Mr Giffard

Mr Donald (o/r)

1

35

HONG KONG : BRIEFING OF PARLIAMENTARIANS ON HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

1. Mr Luce was told this morning by his PPS (Mr Michael Colvin MP) that he had been very struck by the background briefing you kindly gave him on Hong Kong. He said that he had had no idea beforehand of the means by which the territory came into our possession, and that it made the Chinese wish to recover sovereignty a good deal easier to understand. He thought that many of his parliamentary colleagues who followed developments in Hong Kong would be interested in, and benefit from, a similar briefing.

See 36

2. Mr Luce is attracted to this idea. The forum for any such briefing, and the manner in which it was set up, would both need to be very carefully considered. (Would it, for instance, be a good idea to engineer an invitation from the Hong Kong Parliamentary Group to address them on this subject?) But it might lead to a greater understanding amongst interested Parliamentarians of the background against which current talks with the Chinese are taking place and, conceivably, make them that much more prepared to accept any agreement that may eventually be reached.

3. As a first step, Mr Luce would be grateful for your views, and those of copy addressees, on this proposal.

37

f

H. Warren Cash

H B Warren-Gash PS/Mr Luce

STORET

MKK040 16

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY 13 SEP 1983

DESK OFFICER

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