TNAG-1332-FCO40-1762-Future-of-Hong-Kong-White-Paper-on-the-Joint-Declaration-1984 — Page 134

SECRET FUTURE EGRET

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Akkordso. 2663 - 1

REGE VEJ IN

ASEP 1904

60

DD HONG KONG 14010OZ

GRS 345

SECRET

FUTURE EGRET

DESKBY 140100Z

FM FCO 131800Z SEP 84

TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

०९ प्रावाद

Seely

Sit

Seei05

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FUTURE EGRET: PART 3 OF THE WHITE

Seebb

TELEGRAM NUMBER 1818 OF 13 SEPTEMBER

INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING

FOR GOVERNOR FROM CRADOCK YOUR TELS NOS 2808 AND 2809:

PAPER

1.

THE FACT IS THAT OUR RESOURCES HERE ARE AS STRETCHED AS YOURS IF NOT MORE SO. THE FEW POSSIBLE DRAFTERS ARE ALL INUNDATED.

THE DRAFT IN OUR TELNO 1790 WAS PRODUCED BY GALSWORTHY WORKING THROUGH THE PRECEDING WEEKEND FROM A SERIES OF DRAFTS WHICH YOU WOULD HAVE FOUND VERY MUCH MORE INADEQUATE. WE HAVE VERY LITTLE TIME LEFT TO COMPLETE THIS DRAFT: IT MUST GO TO MINISTERS COLLECTIVELY DURING THE COURSE OF NEXT WEEK. OTHERWISE THERE WILL NOT BE TIME TO PRINT IT.

2. THERE IS THE FURTHER PROBLEM THAT THIS PART OF THE WHITE PAPER IS ESSENTIALLY DESIGNED TO MEET YOUR NEEDS IN HONG KONG, AND PEOPLE WORKING HERE INEVITABLY DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH FEEL FOR THE MARKET REQUIREMENT. EVEN IF WE DID PRODUCE ANOTHER DRAFT, WHICH WE REALLY DO NOT THINK WE CAN, WE FEAR THAT IT WOULD FALL SHORT OF WHAT YOUR REQUIRE FOR THIS REASON. WE SHOULD THEN BE EVEN LATER IN THE GAME.

3. READING THE TEXT OF THE DRAFT ON EXTERNAL RELATIONS IN YOUR TELNO 2809 REINFORCES US IN THIS VIEW.

4. I VERY MUCH UNDERSTAND YOUR PROBLEMS. BUT DESPITE THIS, IN THE LIGHT OF THE ABOVE, I FEEL I MUST PRESS YOU TO LET US HAVE YOUR IDEAS IN THE FORM OF DRAFTS. WE MUST SUBMIT TO THE SECRETARY OF

SINCE HE WILL AS YOU KNOW BE

WE CAN ONLY SUBMIT WHAT WE HAVE

STATE OVER THE WEEKEND ON THIS, AWAY FROM 17 TO 19 SEPTEMBER. GOT BY THEN, THOUGH WE SHALL EMPHASISE THAT IT IS STILL SUBJECT

WE WILL SUBMIT THE EXISTING DRAFT,

TO FAIRLY RADICAL AMENDMENT.

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SECRET FUTURE EGRET