TNAG-1323-FCO40-1729-Future-of-Hong-Kong-visits-by-Chinese-officials-to-Hong-Kong-1984 — Page 19

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FM HONG KONG 16093OZ FEB S4

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELEGRAM NUMBER 429 OF 16 FEBRUARY 1984

INFO PRIORITY PEKING

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RECEIVED IN WEGISTR ·

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FUTURE OF HONG KONG: VISIT TO HONG KONG BY HUANG HUA

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1. HUANG HUA (STAGE COUNSELLOR AND VICE CHAIRMAN OF THE STANDING COMMISSION OF THE NFC) MADE AN OVERNIGHT STOP IN HONG KONG ON 14/15 FEBRUARY ON HIS WAY TO ATTEND AN ASIAN POPULATION CONFERENCE

IN NEW DELHI AT THE HEAD OF A LARGE CHINESE DELEGATION.

2. HUANG WILL BE MAKING A RATHER LONGER STOPOVER IN HONG KONG ON

HIS WAY BACK FROM THE CONFERENCE: HE WILL BE HERE FROM THE AFTERNOON

OF FRIDAY, 24 FEBRUARY UNTIL MIDDAY ON MONDAY 27 FEBRUARY. THE QUESTION ARISES WHETHER I SHOULD OFFER TO SEE HIM, OR INDEED

WHETHER MR LUCE (WHO WILL BE HERE OVER THAT WEEKEND) SHOULD DO SO.

AS A FORMER FOREIGN MINISTER AND STILL A SENIOR FIGURE HUANG IS

PRESUMABLY KEPT GENERALLY INFORMED ABOUT THE NEGOTIATIONS OVER

HONG KONG (HE TOLD THE POLITICAL ADVISER, WHO GREETED HIM AT THE

AIRPORT ON 14 FEBRUARY, THAT THE TALKS SHOULD BE SPEEDED UP AND THAT THE IMPORTANT THING WAS TO CONCENTRATE ON QUESTIONS OF

PRINCIPLE). ON THE OTHER HAND THERE IS NO PARTICULAR MESSAGE

WHICH WE WOULD WISH TO PASS TO HIM, AND THERE WOULD BE GREAT PRESS

SPECULATION IF I WERE TO SEE HIM WHILE MR LUCE WAS HERE (AND EVEN

MORE IF MR LUCE HIMSELF WERE TO MEET HIM)

3. SUBJECT TO YOUR VIEWS AND TO THOSE OF THE AMBASSADOR MY

CONCLUSION IS THAT I SHOULD NOT OFFER A MEETING. IT IS IN ANY

CASE LIKELY THAT HUANG WILL WISH TO REST OVER THE WEEKEND. YOUDE

FUTURE OF HONG KONG

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LEGAL ADVISER (SIR IAN SINCLAIR

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SER J BULLARD

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SIR WHARDING

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