TNAG-1312-FCO40-1687-Future-of-Hong-Kong-views-and-involvement-of-Australia--Cana-1984 — Page 98

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FUTURE OF HONG KONG: BRIEFING OF THIRD COUNTRIES

1. I should record that over the past few days I have given briefings on the state of the Hong Kong negotiations to 3 diplomats from third countries:

(a) Mr Giordano, Italian Embassy

(b)

Mr Giordano came for a briefing on the eighth round of talks. (He had called a few days earlier on Mr Morris to talk about recent newspaper articles on the future.) I gave him a run down on the general lines which are appropriate for our Community partners. He asked no questions.

Mr Elmeligy, Egyptian Embassy

Mr Elmeligy had read the recent "Sunday Times" articles very closely and came armed with a series of unnervingly direct questions about conditionality, guarantees of Chinese trustworthiness, the British administrative link and similarly

tricky issues . I replied in suitably evasive terms. Mr Elmeligy was prone to redefine my answers so that they fitted more closely to his very accurate deductions about the present state of play in the negotations. I feel certain that any report which he sends to his capital will reflect these ̈ deductions more closely than it reflects what I actually said.

Mr Schram, Canadian High Commission

Mr Schram had last called in early December. I brought him generally up-to-date on Sir Percy Cradock's farewell calls on Chinese leaders, the EXCO visit to London, recent statements by Chinese leaders and the last round of talks. I based myself on our recent telegrams to old Commonwealth posts, in particular our telno 40 to Canberra. I expressed apprecia tion of the information which we had received on the recent visit by Zhao Ziyang to Canada, and in particular of Mr Trudeau's "strong presentation of Canadian interest in the continued stability and prosperity of Hong Kong". (See attached Canadian reporting telegram, paragraph 5).

CODE 18 22

31 January 1984

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Hong Kong Department

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RECEIVED IN REGISTRY - Sreb 1984

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