DD 27010OZ HONG KONG
GRS 281
CONFIDENTIAL
DESKBY 270100Z
CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO 261535Z NOV 84
TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
TELEGRAM NUMBER 2347 OF 26 NOVEMBER
1980 - 1
040/57
REGISTRY
2 8 NOV 1984
HKK
RECEIVED
PA
SAP.
S
гари
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING
PEKING TELNO 2821: HONG KONG AGREEMENT : PRIME MINISTER'S VISIT
FOR GOVERNOR FROM CRADOCK
123
1.
WE ARE BECOMING A LITTLE CONCERNED AT THE POSITION
EMERGING OVER ATTENDANCE AT THE SIGNATURE CEREMONY BOTH OF
HONG KONG UNOFFICIALS AND HONG KONG OFFICIALS.
2.
ON UNOFFICIALS, WE THINK THAT IT WOULD BE ADVISABLE AT AN
EARLY STAGE TO TELL THE CHINESE OF OUR MINIMUM REQUIREMENT. IN
DOING SO WE WOULD REMIND THEM OF THE NEED FOR BALANCE, AND SAY
THAT DEPENDING ON WHAT ATTENDANCE THE CHINESE THEMSELVES
PROPOSE WE MIGHT WISH TO ENLARGE ATTENDANCE OF UNOFFICIALS.
GRATEFUL FOR YOUR VIEWS. YOU MIGHT ALSO CONSIDER WHETHER THERE
ARE ANY NON-UMELCO UNOFFICIAL FIGURES YOU WISHED TO PROPOSE.
3.
ON OFFICIALS, ZHOU'S RESPONSE LOOKS RATHER OMINOUS.
IT
SEEMS LIKELY THAT HE WILL OBJECT TO THE ATTENDANCE OF HONG KONG
OFFICIALS WHO WERE NOT DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN THE NEGOTIATIONS.
THE ONLY PERSON PROPOSED WHO FALLS INTO THIS CATEGORY IS BIM
DAVIES.
4.
ALTHOUGH WE REMAIN READY TO TELL THE CHINESE THAT WE
WISH DAVIES TO BE A MEMBER OF THE PRIME MINISTER'S DELEGATION
I DO NOT THINK THAT IT WOULD BE REALISTIC
TO SUPPOSE THAT, IF THE CHINESE OBJECTED STRONGLY TO HIS
PRESENCE, WE COULD ALLOW THIS ISSUE TO GROW INTO A ROW OF SUCH
PROPORTIONS THAT IT MIGHT DISTURB THE HARMONY OF THE VISIT. I
THEREFORE THINK THAT IF THE CHINESE DID OBJECT, WE SHOULD HAVE
LITTLE ALTERNATIVE TO WITHDRAWING THE PROPOSAL, MAKING WHATEVER
PROTEST WE THOUGHT NECESSARY. GRATEFUL TO KNOW WHETHER, IN THE
KNOWLEDGE THAT THIS SCENARIO COULD WELL OCCUR, YOU STILL THINK
IT ADVISABLE TO PUT FORWARD DAVIES' NAME.
HOWE
HONG KONG AGREEMENT
LIMITED
HD/HKD
HD/FED
HD/PLANNING STAFF
HD/PUSD
DEP HD/PUSD
RESEARCH DEPT (MR WALKER)
PS
PS/MR LUCE
PS/PUS
SIR W HARDING
MR WILSON
SIR J FREELAND
CONFIDENTIAL
COPIES TO:(VIA ADR)
MR ROBERTS, NEWS DEPT
MR FIFOOT, LEGAL ADVISERS MR BURROWS, LEGAL ADVISERS
MR MARTIN, ASST STAFF CABINET
OFFICE
MR CARTLEDGE, CABINET OFFICE ER COLVIN, CABINET OFFICE SIR P CRADOCK, NO 10 DOWNING ST SIR P CRADOCK, ROOM K195
147)
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.