GRS 450
SECRET
SECRET
FM HONG KONG 31094OZ JAN 84
TO IMMEDIATE F C O
TELEGRAM NUMBER 247 OF 31 JANUARY
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING
PRIORITY CANBERRA.
10
MKK090/11@
YOUR TELNO 40 TO CANBERRA AND PEKING TELNO 27:
TOP COPY
MKK040/6.
RECEIVED IN
264
У
CM182
FUTURE OF HONG KONG: VISIT OF AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER TO CHINA.
1. I SAW MR HAWKE AND SENIOR MEMBERS OF HIS PARTY FOR AN HOUR BEFORE LUNCH ON 30 JANUARY. SINCE IT WAS CLEAR THAT HE HAD ALREADY RECEIVED AN ACCOUNT OF THE BRIEFING ON THE STH ROUND CONVEYED
HROUGH THE HIGH COMMISSION (CANBERRA TELNO 48) I CONCENTRATED ON THE HONG KONG DIMENSION, AND IN PARTICULAR ON THE NEED FOR THE
CHINESE TO UNDERSTAND THAT ANY AGREEMENT WOULD HAVE TO COMMAND
CONFIDENCE HERE IF STABILITY AND PROSPERITY ARE TO BE MAINTAINED.
I EXPLAINED THE NEED FOR ASSURANCES IN THAT CONTEXT, INCLUDING THE
FACT THAT MANY OF THE PROFESSIONAL AND MIDDLE CLASSES WERE MOBILE
AND WOULD LEAVE WELL BEFORE 1997 IF THE AGREEMENT WERE NOT CREDIBLE
TO THEM. I SAID THAT THE CHINESE WERE COMMITTED TO THE SEPTEMBER
DATE AND WOULD PROBABLY HAVE TO ANNOUNCE SOMETHING THEN. THEY WOULD
ALMOST CERTAINLY PREFER A JOINT ANNOUNCEMENT (AS WOULD HKG) BUT
WOULD IF NECESSARY GO AHEAD ON THEIR OWN.
HOWEVER THEY COULD NOT THEMSELVES DETERMINE WHAT EFFECT THEIR
ANNOUNCEMENT WOULD HAVE IN HONG KONG.
2. MR HAWKE TOOK THE LINE THAT THE CHINESE LEADERS WERE REASONABLE
PEOPLE WHO UNDERSTOOD WHAT MADE HONG KONG TICK. HE THOUGHT THAT
THE CHANGES NOW TAKING PLACE IN CHINA WERE FUNDAMENTAL AND
IRREVERSIBLE: THAT IT WAS IN CHINA'S INTERESTS TO MAINTAIN HONG
KONG BROADLY ON THE PRESENT LINES: AND THAT THIS WAS WHAT THE
CHINESE LEADERS WANTED. HE QUESTIONED MY STATEMENT THAT IN THE
LIGHT OF CHINA'S TRACK RECORD OVER THE PAST 30 YEARS PEOPLE IN
HONG KONG WOULD EXPECT SOMETHING MORE SPECIFIC THAN THE 12 POINTS.
IN HIS JUDGEMENT PEOPLE IN HONG KONG WOULD BE PREPARED TO TAKE THE
RISK. SO THINGS WOULD WORK OUT.
SECRET
3. MR HAWKE
21
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