TNAG-1301-FCO40-1657-Visits-by-Richard-Luce--Minister-of-State-for-Foreign-and-Co-1984 — Page 49

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OO HONG KONG

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FM FCO 2317342 FEB 84

TO IMMEDIATE BRUNEI

TELEGRAM NUMBER 81 OF 23 FEBRUARY

INFÓ IMMEDIATE PEKING AND HONG KONG

FOR PS/MR LUCE

HKK 027/12:

RECEIVED IN N/Disli

2 7 FEB 1984

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INDEX

MR LUCE'S VISIT TO HONG KONG : PRESS CONFERENCE

невк

1. THE FOLLOWING SUPPLEMENTARIES (TAKING INTO ACCOUNT HONG KONG

TELNOS 462 AND 470) SHOULD BE USED IN CONJUNCTION

66 040/3 WITH BRIEF NO 9 FOR MR LUCE'S VISIT TO HONG KONG.

2. CAN YOU CONFIRM LI JUSHENG'S SQUARE BRACKETS BEGIN OF THE NCA

SQUARE BRACKETS END STATEMENT THAT AN AGREEMENT COULD BE REACHED

IN JULY?

ANSWER: NO.

THE TALKS ARE PROGRESSING VERY WELL, BUT

SUGGESTIONS THAT WE ARE ABOUT TO ACH AN AGREEMENT ARE SPECULATIVE

WE ARE MOVING AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN, BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING

IS TO REACH THE RIGHT SOLUTION.

3. WHAT IS THE BRITISH POSITION IF IT IS NOT WHAT IS CLAIMED

IN THE PRESS?

ANSWER: THERE HAS BEEN A GOOD DEAL OF PRESS SPECULATION ABOUT THE

CONTENT OF THE TALKS, THE SPECIFIC PROGRESS BEING MADE IN THEM

AND THE TIMING OF A POSSIBLE AGREEMENT. THE CONTENT OF THE TALKS

IS CONFIDENTIAL. ALL I CAN SAY IS THAT THE TALKS ARE PROGRESSING

WELL AND WE ARE DISCUSSING A RANGE OF DETAILED TOPICS WITH THE

AIM OF ENSURING THE MAXIMUM CONTINUITY OF THE HONG KONG WAY OF

LIFE.

4.

IF THE BRITISH ARE PRESSING FORWARD TO AN AGREEMENT THIS

SUMMER, WHY ARE THE HONG KONG PEOPLE NOT BEING GIVEN SOME

GUIDANCE?

ANSWER: I REALISE THAT SILENCE CAN BE FRUSTRATING. BUT WE DO

NOT WANT TO PREJUDICE THE TALKS BY NEGOTIATING IN PUBLIC. THAT

WOULD NOT HELP HONG KONG. AT THE RIGHT TIME THE HONG KONG PEOPLE

WILL BE BROUGHT FULLY INTO THE PICTURE. MEANWHILE I WOULD DRAW

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