TNAG-1298-FCO40-1653-Visit-by-Sir-Geoffrey-Howe--Secretary-of-State-for-Foreign-a-1984 — Page 79

GR 1-00

CONFIDENTIAL

HOF

CONFIDENTIAL

HICK OTHOP COPY

RECEIVED IN BEGISTRY

1 O APR 1984

DESKBY 0909OOZ

FM HONG KONG 09082CZ APR 84

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

DESK OFFICEA

TELEGRAM NUMBER 961 OF 9 APRIL

INDEX

PA

INFO PRIORITY PEKING

JP

EOISTRY

185°

FOR CLIFT FROM BRAY

YOUR TELNO 637 OF 5 APRIL: PRESS QUESTIONS FOR SECRETARY OF STATE.

THE FOLLOWING POSSIBLE QUESTIONS ON THE FUTURE HAVE BEEN DRAWN UP WITHOUT ANY KNOWLEDGE OF WHAT WILL BE IN THE S OF SIS STATEMENT. THEY ARE THEREFORE OF A PRELIMINARY NATURE. SOME OF THE WORDING

IS AGGRESSIVE BECAUSE THIS IS WHAT WE EXPECT.

1. WHY DID YOU IGNORE THE WISHES OF THE HONG KONG PEOPLE BY GOING DIRECT TO PEKING WITHOUT FIRST-HAND CONTACT WITH THE

PEOPLE HERE?

2. AN FCO SPOKESMAN WAS QUOTED AS SAYING YOU COULD NOT COME TO

HONG KONG BEFORE VISITING PEKING BECAUSE OF PRACTICAL CONSTRAINTS.

WHAT WERE THESE CONSTRAINTS?

3. HOW HAS THE UK GOVERNMENT ASSESSED THE VIEWS OF HONG KONG PEOPLE? DO YOU BELIEVE THE ASSESSMENT YOU HAVE MADE ACCURATELY REFLECTS THE VIEWS OF THE HONG KONG PEOPLE AS A WHOLE?

4. WHAT SORT OF HONG KONG DO YOU BELIEVE THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG

WISH TO SEE DEVELOPING IN THE FUTURE?

5. IT HAS BEEN ARGUED THAT YOU HAVE SEEN AND HEARD ONLY THE VIEWS

OF THOSE WHOM THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT APPROVES OF. WHY HAVE YOUR CONTACTS BEEN SO SELECTIVE? DO YOU THINK YOU HAVE MET A REPRESENTATIVE CROSS-SECTION OF HONG KONG PEOPLE? COULD YOU NOT STAY LONGER IN ORDER TO MEET AN EVEN WIDER CROSS-SECTION?

6. MAMY LOCAL GROUPS HAVE BEEN INVITED BY CHINA TO GO TO PEKING

TO GIVE THEIR VIEWS. WHY HAS THE UK GOVERNMENT NOT GIVEN MORE ENCOURAGEMENT TO SIMILAR GROUPS TO VISIT LONDON?

7. IS A DRAFT AGREEMENT LIKELY TO BE PUBLISHED BY JULY OR AT LEAST

THE SEPTEMBER DEADLINE SET BY CHINA?

8. THE NEGOTIATIONS ON HONG KONG'S FUTURE ARE DESCRIBED AS BEING IN THE SECOND STAGE. WHAT WILL THE THIRD STAGE ENTAIL? WHEN WILL

IT START? HOW MANY MORE STAGES WILL THERE BE?

9. IS IT TRUE THAT IN EXCHANGE FOR A GUARANTEE OF 50 YEARS OF CAPITALIST LIFESTYLE THE UK GOVERNMENT HAS CONCEDED SOVEREIGNTY

AND ADMINISTRATION?

CONFIDENTIAL

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