SECRET
Thursday for agreement by Ministers, out of Committee, in time to get the paper to the Chinese on 16 March.
SECRETARY OF STATE'S VISIT
3. It was agreed that the Secretary of State might have to make a separate visit to Peking and Hong Kong earlier in April. By the time of the visit we should have already tabled our draft agreement with the Chinese. The Secretary of State might use the, occasion of his visit to Hong Kong to make a statement outlining the sort of agreement we expected to make with the Chinese. Consideration should be
given to the need to make a simultaneous announcement in the House of Commons. The Department would submit a proposal for a visit by the Secretary of State to Peking and Hong Kong earlier in April.
UNDERTAKINGS TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG
4.
It was agreed that we would need to have something to say on undertakings by April. The Treasury was not prepared to accept a more open line on pensions at the moment, and the Governor thought that we should be more forthcoming in our replies to those civil servants applying for registration under Section 4(v). Hong Kong had undertaken to let us have their further thoughts, and then we could go back to the Home Office.
ACCEPTABILITY
5. Mr Luce asked the Department to prepare a paper on how best to judge the acceptability of any agreement in Hong Kong.
HONG KONG DEPARTMENT
6 March 1984
DISTRIBUTION:
PS
PS/PUS
Sir W Harding
SECRET
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