TNAG-1339-FCO40-1771-Visit-by-Margaret-Thatcher--UK-Prime-Minister--to-Beijing-fo-1984 — Page 192

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KECEIVER REGISTRY

1 1DEC 1984

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TELEGRAM NUMBER 1519 OF 10 DECEMBER

AND TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG, TOKYO (PERSONAL FOR SIR E YOUDE)

MIPT: PRIME MINISTER'S VISIT TO CHINA AND HONG KONG: STEERING BRI

PASSAGES ON HONG KONG FOR INCLUSION IN THE STEERING BRIEF FOR

UK OBJECTIVES

3.A. HONG KONG,

I) THROUGH THE PRIME MINISTER'S PARTICIPATION IN THE SIGNATURE

CEREMONY. TO DEMONSTRATE OUR COMMITMENT TO THE FULL

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE HONG KONG AGREEMENT AND TO SECURE A SIMILAR

DEGREE OF COMMITMENT ON THE CHINESE SIDE.

II) TO EXPRESS OUR READINESS TO CO-OPERATE WITH THE CHINESE

GOVERNMENT TO PUT THE AGREEMENT INTO EFFECT: TO ELICIT A SIMILAR

RESPONSE ON THE CHINESE SIDE, AND IN PARTICULAR TO PREPARE THE

WAY FOR INFLUENCING THE DRAFTING OF THE BASIC LAW.

III) TO REASSURE CHINESE LEADERS THAT UP TO 1997 HONG KONG WILL

CONTINUE TO BE ADMINISTERED EFFECTIVELY AND PRUDENTLY.

LIKELY CHINESE OBJECTIVES

4.

A.

HONG KONG

I) TO REASSURE US OF CHINA'S COMMITMENT TO IMPLEMENTATION OF THE

AGREEMENT.

II) TO PREPARE THE GROUND FOR INCREASING THEIR INFLUENCE OVER THE

ADMINISTRATION OF HONG KONG WHILE KEEPING CHINA'S OWN HANDS FREE.

III) TO SEEK REASSURANCE THAT UP TO 1997 OUR ADMINISTRATION OF

HONG KONG WILL PRESERVE THE TERRITORY'S STABILITY AND PROSPERITY.

ON HONG KONG THE POINTS TO MAKE ARE RELATIVELY GENERAL ONES.

THE AIM IS TO ESTABLISH A CLIMATE OF TRUST AND GOODWILL IN WHICH

THE AGREEMENT CAN BE PUT INTO EFFECT. THERE IS A STRONG NEGATIVE

AIM, TO AVOID PROVOKING ANY HIGH LEVEL STATEMENT FROM CHINESE

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