TNAG-1332-FCO40-1762-Future-of-Hong-Kong-White-Paper-on-the-Joint-Declaration-1984 — Page 220

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32

FROM:

P J GOULDEN, NEWS

DATE:

4 SEPTEMBER 1984

Mr Galsworthy, HKD

Arecent raden чевариј in redrafting

୮

HILILO40 | 50

RECEIVEDRA.

POTHY

1 1SEP 1984

INDEX

PA

cc:

REGISTRY

tion Taken

ľ 142119

گاه

Private Secretary

PS/Mr Luce

Sir P Cradock

PS/PUS

Sir W Harding

Mr Bacon,

Parliamentary Unit

Miss Neville-Jones

Planning Staff Mr Bickford,

Legal Advisers Mr Elliott, FED

Mr Walker, Research Dept

/in the end

successfully

FUTURE OF HONG KONG: WHITE PAPER

1. One point which struck me on reading your draft was that it does not fully convey the extent to which the British negotiators have fought for Hong Kong's interests. Indeed, the account of the negotiations in paragraph 10 conveys the impression that, whenever we came up against a Chinese objection of principle, we adjusted our approach.

2. I realise that we have no interest in selling the agreement as a British victory over the Chinese.

But my contacts with Hong Kong journalists suggest that we have a strong presentational need to convince the people of Hong Kong that the British team have fought hard on their behalf, have not retreated in the face of opposition and have forced the Chinese to compromise. This message was reinforced to me when I saw Man-yee, the new Director- designate of the Hong Kong GIS, today.

3. The flavour I have in mind could perhaps be included by beginning paragraph 26 in the following way:

The British side have throughout negotiated energetically and / to secure an agreement which meets the needs and wishes of the people of Hong Kong. The agreement inevitably represents a compromise, in which both sides

have had to respect cardinal points of principle on the other side. As is normal with international agreements

The Canlaon

Goulden

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