TNAG-1307-FCO40-1664-Future-of-Hong-Kong-1984 — Page 120

GR 350

SECRET

SECRET

FM HONG KONG 010810Z FEB 84

TO ROUTINE FCO

TELEGRAM NUMBER 273 OF 1 FEBRUARY

INFO PEKING

PERSONAL FOR CLIFT, HKD FROM POLITICAL ADVISER

FUTURE OF HONG KONG: RECORDS

Нікколой

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

3FEB 1984

DESK OFFICER

INDEX

\Q Tety

tion Taken

!

1. AFTER EIGHT ROUNDS OF TALKS WE ARE BEGINNING TO FIND IT

DIFFICULT TO KEEP TRACK OF WHO SAID WHAT AND WHEN. THE WORK OF PREPARING SPEAKING NOTES AND OTHER MATERIAL IN CONNECTION WITH THE

TALKS SOMETIMES TAKES LONGER THAN NECESSARY BECAUSE OF THE

NEED TO LOOK UP THE RECORDS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE NOT MISSED SOMETHING IMPORTANT SAID BY ONE OR OTHER OF THE TWO SIDES:

WE ARE RELYING MAINLY ON MEMORY.

2. WHAT IS NEEDED IS A LOOSELEAF CONVORDANCE, UPDATED AFTER EACH ROUND OF THE TALKS OR INFORMAL CONTACT, WHICH WOULD BRIEFLY SUMMARISE POINTS MADE UNDER DIFFERENT SUB HEADINGS, WITH REFERENCES TO THE ROUND(S) (FIRST OR SECOND DAY) OR INFORMAL MEETNGS WHEN THE PARTICULAR ISSUE WAS DISCUSED. THE CHOICE OF

SUB HEADINGS IS IMPORTANT: THEY WOULD NEED TO BE SUFFICENTLY, BUT NOT EXCESSIVELY DETAILED. FOR EXAMPLE, HEADINGS UNDER

THE LEGAL SYSTEM WOULD NEED TO INCLUDE QUOTE FINAL COURT OF APPEAL UNQUOTE, QUOTE JUDGES: METHOD OF APPOINTMENT UNQUOTE," QUOTE JUDGES:

INDEPENDENCE OF UNQUOTE ETC.

*

3. I WONDER IF IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE TO ASK RESEARCH DEPARTMENT TO

GO THROUGH THE RECORDS OF ALL THE MEETINGS SO FAR, AND THE RECORDS/TELEGRAPH REPORTS OF INFORMAL MEETINGS IN ORDER TO

PRODUCE SUCH A CONCORANCE. I REALISE THAT THIS IS SOMETHING

OF A CHORE, BUT THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE CONCERNED WITH THE FUTURE HERE IS, AS YOU KNOW, VERY SMALL AND WE SIMPLY DO NOT HAVE THE TIME TO UNDERTAKE THE TASK OURSELVES.

4. WHAT I HAVE IN MIND IS OF COURSE A SEPARATE EXERCISE FROM THE

WORK ON CHINESE (NEXT WORD UNDERLINED) PUBLIC STATEMENTS

ALREADY HAVE IN HAND.

YOU DE

LIMITED

it KD

FED RES D MR DONALD

WHICH RESEARCH DEPARTMENT

ΤΟ

SEE

GS

See 76

79

SECRET

73

COPIES

SIR P CRADOCK.

THIS IS A COPY

THE ORIGINAL HAS BEEN RETAINED

·

IN THE DEPARTMENT UNDER

SECTION 3 (4) OF THE

PUBLIC RECORDS ACT 1958

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