TNAG-1304-FCO40-1660-Visit-by-Sir-Geoffrey-Howe--Secretary-of-State-for-Foreign-a-1984 — Page 140

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SECRET

DESKBY 181100 FCO

HICK

TOP COP

027/21

SECRET RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

FROM PEKING 18090OZ JULY 84

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 1477 OF 18/7/84

18 JUL 1984

DESK OFFICEM

INDEX

PA

INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

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MY TELNO 1466: FUTURE OF HONG KONG: YOUR VISIT: PRESS STATEMENT

1. I HAVE CONSIDERED THE ARGUMENTS FOR AND AGAINST ISSUING A

JOINT PRESS STATEMENT. THE ARGUMENTS IN FAVOUR REMAIN MUCH AS I SET THEM OUT IN MY TELNO 710 OF 11 APRIL, IN ADVANCE OF YOUR LAST VISIT. IN THE LIGHT OF EXPERIENCE, THE ARGUMENTS AGAINST LARGELY FALL AWAY. IN THIS SITUATION, AND GIVEN THE IMPORTANCE OF GIVING

THE PRESS NO CHANCE TO WRITE UNFAVOURABLE STORIES ABOUT THE VISIT,

I BELIEVE WE SHOULD PROPOSE THE ISSUE OF A STATEMENT TO THE

CHINESE.

2. A POSSIBLE DRAFT (BASED ON THE AGREED STATEMENT LAST TIME) IS

AS FOLLOWS:

BEGINS

AT THE INVITATION OF STATE COUNCILLOR AND FOREIGN MINISTER

WU XUEQIAN, THE BRITISH FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH SECRETARY, SIR GEOFFREY HOWE, PAID A WORKING VISIT TO PEKING FROM 27 TO

31 JULY. DURING HIS VISIT SIR GEOFFREY HOWE ALSO HAD FRIENDLY

DISCUSSIONS WITH

DURING THESE MEETINGS THE TWO SIDES REVIEWED THE COURSE OF THE

TALKS BETWEEN THE TWO GOVERNMENTS ON THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG.

THEY AGREED THAT THESE TALKS HAD MADE VALUABLE PROGRESS AND THAT

THEY SHOULD CONTINUE FOLLOWING THE VISIT. BOTH SIDES AGREED THAT

SIR GEOFFREY HOWE'S VISIT AND HIS TALKS WITH CHINESE LEADERS

HAVE MADE FURTHER PROGRESS TOWARDS ACHIEVING THE AGREEMENT WHICH

BOTH SIDES SEEK.

SECRET

/SIR GEOFFREY HOWL

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