TNAG-1310-FCO40-1667-Future-of-Hong-Kong-1984 — Page 69

CODE 18-77

HP 4/83

Mr Walker

Research Department

cc: Dr Wilson

Mr Orr, FED

SECRET

Reference.

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RECLIVED IN REGASTAY

14. JAY 1984

DESK OFFICthe

INDEX

Mr R P Margolis, DPA, Hong Kong

Mr Galsworthy, Peking

Аак

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In whälkeen has

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FUTURE OF HONG KONG: HISTORY OF NEGOTIATIONS

in train

1. I should be very grateful if you would consider how we should start preparing a history of the negotiations. This might be needed at short notice for the information of Ministers, for publication or both. The history which at this stage of course would remain classified would be fairly full. It would be used as a justification for the British Government's position in case of any breakdown in the talks. It would then probably take the form of a White Paper.

2.

(a)

I have in mind the following:

a short history of the territory, the treaties and in particular the lease over the new territories. An explanation of the realities arising the termination of the lease and other factors.

(b) The background to the Prime Minister's visit to Peking and Hong Kong, including concern in Hong Kong over property and land and the consequent need to broach the subject with the Chinese at that stage.

(c) An account of the Prime Minister's visitto Peking,

laying to rest the various public misinterpretations of the visit made at the time.

(d) An account of the Prime Minister's visit to Hong Kong

and the commitments she made there at that time.

(e) The contacts that immediately followed the Prime

Minister's visit the obstacles to the start of formal talks.

(f) The Prime Minister's letter to Zhao Ziyang which

enabled the talks to embark on a second phase.

(g) The second phase of talks. A description of the

problems resolved by the Prime Minster's second letter to Zhao Ziyang and the subsequent clarifications in the talks. An outline of the presentation of British working papers, possibly including the working papers as an annex to the history. This section would emphasise throughout the conditionality of our approach.

360,

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