TNAG-1307-FCO40-1664-Future-of-Hong-Kong-1984 — Page 8

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147)

79

150

GPS400

SECRET

FM HONG KONG 011050Z MAR 84

TO PRIORITY FCO

SECRET

TELEGRAM NUMBER 557 OF 1 MARCH

INFO PRIORITY PEKING

FUTURE OF HONG KONG: LEGCO DEBATE

62027/4

TOR

+KK 040

HOPY

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

2 MAR 1984

DESK OFFICER

INDEX

PA

REGISTRY

ction Taken

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1. NOTE FROM PEKING TELNO 346 THAT ZHOU NAN TOLD MRS SHIRLEY WILLIAMS THAT THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT DID NOT LIKE THE MOTION DUE

TO BE DEBATED IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ON 14 MARCH: CLAIMED THAT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT MUST HAVE BEEN BEHIND IT: AND WARNED AGAINST ANY ATTEMPT TO QUOTE PLAY THE PUBLIC OPINION CARD UNQUOTE IN HONG KONG. THE COMMUNIST PRESS HERE HAVE ALSO CRITICISED THE MOTION (SEE FOR EXAMPLE MY TELSNOS 522 AND 536): AND ARE (72),(13) NOW SUGGESTING THAT MR LUCE WAS ALSO SEEKING TO REVIVE THE 0403.

CONCEPT OF THE QUOTE THREE LEGGED STOOL UNQUOTE).

12.13

2. THERE MUST THEREFORE BE A POSSIBILITY THAT THE CHINESE WILL RAISE THE MATTER IN THE TALKS OR IN INFORMAL CONTACTS BETWEEN NOW AND THE NEXT ROUND. SUBJECT TO YOUR VIEWS, I SUGGEST THAT THE RIGHT LINE WOULD BE THAT NEITHER HMG NOR THE HKG WERE THE ORIGINATORS OF THE MOTION: BUT THAT IT IS ENTIRELY NATURAL AND UNDERSTANDABLE THAT THEY SHOULD WISH TO DO SO.

3. IF THE CHINESE CLAIM THAT IT WOULD BE IMPROPER FOR THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TO HOLD A SUBSTANTIVE DEBATE ON AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE TWO GOVERNMENTS BEFORE IT IS SIGNED, WE MIGHT TAKE THE LINE THAT:

(A) WE HAVE ALWAYS SAID PUBLICLY THAT HMG IS SEEKING A SETTLEMENT WHICH WOULD BE ACCEPTABLE TO CHINA, TO PARLIAMENT AND THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG.

(B) THE AMBASSADOR TOLD ZHOU NAN INFORMALLY ON 23 FEBRUARY THAT HE THOUGHT THERE WOULD HAVE TO BE A DEBATE IN PARLIAMENT BEFORE HE WAS AUTHORISED TO SIGN AN AGREEMENT (PARA 15 OF PEKING TELNO 321): AND PARLIAMENT WILL WISH TO KNOW WHETHER THE AGREEMENT IS ACCEPTABLE IN HONG KONG.

(C) THERE IS NO WAY IN WHICH HMG COULD, OR WOULD WISH TO, STIFLE DISCUSSION ON THE ISSUE IN HONG KONG. IT WOULD MAKE THE PROCESS OF SECURING PARLIAMENTARY ENDORSEMENT OF ANY AGREEMENT SUBSTANTIALLY MORE DIFFICULT IF THEY WERE TO TRY.

see

HKK040/4

SECRET

14. THE

SECRET

4. THE LEGCO DEBATE WILL TAKE PLACE ON THE DAY BEFORE WE TRAVEL

TO PEKING FOR THE 10TH ROUND. THE LEFT-WING PRESS WILL ALMOST

CERTAINLY ATTACK THE HOLDING OF THE DEBATE THE SUPPORT OF THE

NOTION BY OFFICIALS AND ANY VIEWS EXPRESSED WHICH THEY DO NOT LIKE.

IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO HAVE THE AMBASSADOR'S ASSESSMENT OF WHETHER

THE CHINESE REACTION IS LIKELY TO EXTEND BEYOND THIS E.G. TO

THE REFUSAL OF VISAS TO HONG KONG MEMBERS OF THE BRITISH DELEGATION.

YOUDE

THIS TELEGRAM WAS NOT ADVANCED

FUTURE OF HONG KONG LIMITED

FED

ED/PLANNING STAFF

ED/PUSD

D/ED/PUSD (MR FLOWER)

PES.E. (MR WALKER)

LEGAL ADVISER (SIR IAN SINCLAIR

PS

PS/LADY YOUNG

PS/MR LUCE

PS/PUS

SIR J BULLARD

SIR W HARDING

MR WILSON ·

LR WRIGENT

SIR C TECKELL

COPIES TO:

BUCKINGHAM PALACE

PS/LORD PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL PS/HOME SECRETARY

PS/CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER

PS/LORD PRIVY SEAL

PS/SECRETARY FOR TRADE & INDUSTRY

COPIES TO: (VIA ADR)

MR ROBERTS

MR BURROWS

NEWS D

LEGAL ADVS

MR COLES NO 10 DOWNING ST

MR MARTIN ASSESSMENT STAFF CABINET OFFICE

MR GOODALL CABINET OFFICE

HR BRENNAN CABINET OFFICE

PS/S OF S FOR DEFENCE D

PS/ATTORNEY GENERAL

SIR P CRADOCK RV K195

SIR P CRADOCK NO 10 DOWNING STREET

2

SECRET

J

D

GPS 100

CONFIDENTIAL

HKK 040/1

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

A MAR 1084

DERK OFFICIA

INDEX

PA

REGISTRY

uutism Taken

TOP COPY

Netol

CONFIDENTIAL bir augstok

FM HONG KONG 010912Z MAR 84

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELEGRAM NUMBER 553 OF 1 MARCH 1984

136

137

138

Parell 1/3.

YOUR TELSNOS 360 AND 361 AND MY TELNO 539: FUTURE OF HONG KONG:

MR WALTER SULKE

1. WE ASSUME THAT THE PRIME MINISTER'S PRIVATE SECRETARY WILL

BE ADVISED TO REPLY BRIEFLY TO MR SULKE ON THE LINES RECOMMENDED

IN MY TUR. BUT FOR FUTURE REFERENCE THE FORMULA ON ACCEPTABILITY

IN THE THIRD PARAGRAPH OF THE DRAFT IN YOUR TELNO 361 IS NOT

QUITE RIGHT, MINISTERS HAVE NOT SAID THAT ANY AGREEMENT QUOTE

MUST BE ACCEPTABLE UNQUOTE TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG AS WELL

AS TO THE TWO GOVERNMENTS. WHAT THEY HAVE SAID IS THAT HMG IS

COMMITTED TO (NEXT THREE WORDS UNDERLINED) THE SEARCH FOR A

SETTLEMENT ACCEPTABLE TO PARLIAMENT, TO CHINA AND TO THE PEOPLE

OF HONG KONG.

YOUDE

LIMITED

HD/HKD HD/FED

MR DONALD

COPIES To:

SIR P CRADOCK, ROOM K195

SIR P CRADOCK

NO 1O DOWNING STREET

CONFIDENTIAL

THIS TELEGRAM

WAS NOT

ADVANCED

рез

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