TNAG-1338-FCO40-1770-Visit-by-Margaret-Thatcher--UK-Prime-Minister--to-Beijing-fo-1984 — Page 49

CONFIDENTIAL

GRS 450

CONFIDENTIAL

FUTURE EGRET

DESKBY 2809COZ FCO, PEKING

FM HONG KONG 28083OZ NOV 84

TO IMMEDIATE F C O

TELEGRAM NUMBER 3632 OF 28 NOVEMBER

HKK 040/57

RECEIVED REGISTRY

2 8 NOV 1984

INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING

YOUR TELNO 2345 : PRIME MINISTER'S VISIT.

INDEX

PA

JAL

74

I HAVE THE FOLLOWING COMMENTS AND AMENDMENTS:

(A) IN ACKNOWLEDGING THE WORK OF THE TWO NEGOTIATING TEAMS PUBLIC RECOGNITION SHOULD ALSO BE GIVEN TO THE MANY OTHERS WHO SUPPORTED

THEM WITH EQUAL DEDICATION. (PENULTIMATE SENTENCE OF PARA 5).

(B) PARA 6. SINCE THE SPEECH WILL BE MADE IN PEKING THE FIRST

SENTENCE SHOULD BE RECASTE TO MAKE THE POINT THAT THE AGREEMENT PROVIDES THE FRAMEWORK WHICH MEETS THE POLITICAL REQUIREMENTS OF

CHINA AND THE U.K. AS WELL AS THE INTERESTS OF HONG KONG. THE SECOND

SENTENCE COULD MORE APPROPRIATELY FOLLOW AFTER THE FOURTH SENTENCE.

THE ABSENCE OF ANY REFERENCE TO FREEDOM IN PARA 6 MAY BE DELIBERATE

BUT FROM HONG KONG'S POINT OF VIEW WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE A REFERENCE

TO IT INCLUDED.

*

(C) PARA 7 IS JUST A TOO EUPHORIC. SINCE WE ARE PREPARED TO ADMIT

IN PARA 5 THAT THE NEGOTIATIONS WERE AT TIMES DIFFICULT, I SEE NO

HARM FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF RELATIONS WITH THE CHINESE AND

POSITIVE ADVANTAGE FROM HONG KONG'S POINT OF VIEW IN ADMITTING THAT,

WHILST ACCEPTABLE AS A WHOLE, THE AGREEMENT IS NOT PERFECT. THE

SECOND SENTENCE OF PARA 7 MIGHT BE AMENDED TO READ AS FOLLOWS:

-

''THE AGREEMENT HAS BEEN THE SUBJECT OF A THOROUGH AND RESPONSIBLE

PUBLIC DEBATE AMONGST THOSE WHOSE FUTURE IT WILL DETERMINE · THE

PEOPLE OF HONG KONG. ALTHOUGH THEY HAVE EXPRESSED RESERVATIONS AND

SOUGHT CLARIFICATION ON PARTICULAR POINTS, THEY HAVE CLEARLY JUDGED

IT ACCEPTABLE TO THEM AS A WHOLE.'

#

(D) PARA 11. IN THE SECOND SENTENCE WE MUST MAKE CLEAR THE BRITISH

COMMITMENT TO DO MORE THAN CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THE FRAMEWORK. THE

SENTENCE MIGHT READ:

**WE SHALL CONTINUE TO DISCHARGE OUR OBLIGATION TO ADMINISTER HONG

KONG UP TO 30 JUNE 1997 IN THE SAME RESPONSIBLE AND EFFECTIVE

MANNER AS WE HAVE DONE IN THE PAST.''

CONFIDENTIAL

((E)

137).