ORD 500
RECL
UNCLASSIFIED
FN HONG KONG 2600552 JUL 84
HKCK 0277OP-COPY
SIK!
- 2 AUC 1984
TO IMMEDIATE F C O
INDEX
TELEGRAM NUMBER 2123 OF 26 JULY
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING
JAK
ᄂ
SECRETARY OF STATE'S VISIT: HONG KONG: 26 JULY.
1. FOLLOWING IS TEXT OF SECRETARY OF STATE'S ARRIVAL STATEMENT
IN HONG KONG:
DEGINS:
1 AM VERY GLAD TO BE BACK IN HONG KONG ONLY THREE MONTHS
AFTER MY LAST VISIT. AS LAST TIME, I HAVE TWO MAIN PURPOSES. IN HONG KONG, IN LOOK FORWARD TO CONSULTING WITH REPRESENTATIVES
OF HONG KONG OPINION AND DISCUSSING THE WAY IN WHICH WE ARE
CONDUCTING THE NEGOTIATIONS IN PEKING. TOMORROW I GO ON TO PEKING
TO REVIEW WITH THE CHINESE LEADERS THE PROGRESS MADE SO FAR IN THE
NEGOTIATIONS AND TO CARRY THEM FORWARD.
SINCE APRIL, IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENTS HAVE TAKEN PLACE:
THE LONDON VISIT OF UMELCO AND OTHER HONG KONG GROUPS:
THE HOUSE OF COMMONS DEBATE ON 16 MAY:
THE SETTING UP OF THE WORKING GROUP IN PEKING:
MR LUCE'S VISIT HERE TWO WEEKS AGO:
THE PUBLICATION OF THE GREEN PAPER AND THE ARRANGEMENTS
FOR TESTING THE ACCEPTABILITY OF AN AGREEMENT IN HONG KONG:
AND OF COURSE 8 MORE ROUNDS OF NEGOTIATION IN PEKING.
SO THIS VISIT
ENVISAGED WHEN I WAS HERE LAST AND PLANNED FOR
SERVERAL WEEKS IS PART OF A PATTERN OF INCREASING ACTIVITY.
14
1 WELL UNDERSTAND YOU INTENSE INTEREST IN THE OUTCOME OF THESE
CRUCIAL NEGOTIATIONS. A LOT HAS ALREADY BEEN REVEALED ABOUT OUR
APPROACH, NOTABLY IN MY STATEMENT HERE ON 20 APRIL AND SINCE THEN
IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS. I WILL CONTINUE THIS PROCESS AS FAR AS I
REASONABLY CAN, BEARING IN MIND THE NEED TO PRESERVE CONFIDENTIALITY
AND THE FACT THAT WHAT MATTERS MOST IS GETTING THE RIGHT AGREEMENT
AT THE END OF THE DAY.
/MEANWHILE
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