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DD 180100Z PEKING
GRS 1754
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DESKBY 180100Z
FM F C O 171630Z MAY 84
TO IMMEDIATE PEKING
TELEGRAM NUMBER 523 OF 17 MAY 1984
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
20228 1
HKK. 040/31.
НКК
RECE.VEID
2 1 MAY 1984
メ
JAM 103015
29/5:
MIPT: FUTURE OF HONG KONG: HOUSE OF LORD'S DEBATE: 21 MAY
1. MY LORDS, I AM GRATEFUL TO LORD FANSHAWE FOR TABLING HIS
QUESTION AND THUS GIVING THIS HOUSE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DEBATE THE
IMPORTANT ISSUE OF HONG KONG'S FUTURE. IT IS A MATTER OF THE
HIGHEST CONCERN TO HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT AND, AS THIS DEBATE
HAS SHOWN, TO NOBLE LORDS.
2. MANY NOBLE LORDS PRESENT THIS EVENING KNOW WELL THE
REMARKABLE COMMUNITY WHICH IS HONG KONG. ANYONE WHO HAS VISITED
THE TERRITORY WILL HAVE BEEN IMPRESSED BY ITS ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL
ACHIEVEMENTS. IT IS UNIQUE IN ITS HISTORICAL BACKGROUND NOTABLY
THE FACT THAT 92 PER CENT OF ITS LAND AREA IS COVERED BY A LEASE
THAT EXPIRES IN 1997. IT IS UNIQUE TOO IN THE NEGOTIATIONS WHICH
ARE NOW UNDER WAY TO ASSURE ITS FUTURE.
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3. IT IS NATURAL AND UNDERSTANDABLE THAT THE PEOPLE OF THE
TERRITORY SHOULD FEEL ANXIETY ABOUT THEIR FUTURE. SOME NOBLE
LORDS HAVE NO DOUBT MET THE GROUPS WHICH HAVE RECENTLY VISITED
LONDON TO EXPRESS THE CONCERN OF THE HONG KONG PEOPLE AND THEIR
VIEWS ABOUT THE WAY IN WHICH THE TERRITORY SHOULD EVOLVE. IT IS
OUR INTENTION IN THE NEGOTIATIONS TO DO EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO
ALLAY THOSE CONCERNS. HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT ARE ALSO DEEPLY
AWARE OF THE ANXIETIES AND FRUSTRATIONS CAUSED BY THE
CONFIDENTIALITY OF THE NEGOTIATIONS. WE BELIEVE THAT THIS
CONFIDENTIALITY UPON WHICH BOTH SIDES ARE AGREED PROVIDES OUR
NEGOTIATORS WITH THE BEST BASIS ON WHICH TO OPERATE. BUT WE HAVE
THOUGHT IT RIGHT, WITHOUT BREAKING THE CONFIDENTIALITY OF THE TALKS,
TO GIVE AS CLEAR A DESCRIPTION AS WE CAN OF THE GENERAL APPROACH OF
THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT TO THE IMPORTANT PROBLEM AT STAKE.
4. THIS WAS FIRST DONE DURING THE VISIT WHICH MY RT HON AND
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