TNAG-1342-FCO40-17722-Visit-by-Margaret-Thatcher--UK-Prime-Minister--to-Beijing-fo-1984 — Page 52

CONFIDENTIAL

HICK 040/57.

RECEIVED

REGISTRY

20 DEC 1984

TOP COPY

170

Silen

451

GRS 1500

CONFIDENTIAL

DESKBY 190930 HK AND FCO-

FROM PEKING 190753Z DEC 24

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 3034 OF 19/12/84

INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

FROM PS/PRIME MINISTER

PRIME MINISTER'S VISIT: TALKS WITH ZHAO: HONG KONG

SUMMARY

1. THE PRIME MINISTER ASSURED ZHAO THAT HMG WOULD IMPLEMENT THE AGREEMENT FULLY AND DO ALL POSSIBLE TO MAINTAIN STABILITY AND PROSPERITY, EMPHASISED THE IMPORTANCE OF THE BASIC LAW AND POINTED TO THE VALUE OF LISTENING TO HONG KONG VIEWS. SHE EMPHA-ISED THAT CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT WOULD BE STEADY AND SECURE. ZHAO GAVE REASSURANCES THAT CHINA WOULD IMPLEMENT THE AGREEMENT FULLY, EMPHASISED THE IMPORTANCE OF AVERTING PROBLEMS DURING THE TRANSITIONAL PERIOD AND CONFIRMED THAT CHINA WOULD NOT

COMMENT ON OUR CONSTITUTIONAL PROPOSALS.

DETAIL

2. THE PRIME MINISTER HAD A SHORT INFORMAL MEETING FOLLOWED

BY TWO AND A HALF HOURS OF FORMAL TALKS WITH ZHAO THIS MORNING.

THE ATMOSPHERE WAS FRIENDLY AND RELAXED. THE FIRST HOUR WAS

DEVOTED TO HONG KONG MATTERS.

GENERAL

3. DURING THE INFORMAL MEETING, ZHAO SAID THAT THE PRIME MINISTER'S

VISIT HAD LAID THE FOUNDATIONS FOR THE SATISFACTORY SETTLEMENT. THE

AGREEMENT WAS A MAJOR EVENT OF HISTORICAL AND FAR-REACHING SIGNIFICANCE. HE PRAISED THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S ROLE.

4. IN THE TALKS THE PRIME MINISTER SPOKE FIRST. SHE SAID THAT THE

TWO SIDES HAD BEEN UNSURE TWO YEARS AGO HOR THE NEGOTIATIONS ON

HONG KONG WOULD TURN OUT. SHE STRESSED THE IMPORTANCE HMG ATTACHED TO THE AGREEMENT. SHE WAS PLEASED THAT SHE AND ZHAO WOULD SIGN. SHE BELIEVED THE AGREEMENT FULLY MET THE INTERESTS OF BOTH COUNTIRES. IT LAND THE FOUNDATION UPON WHICH THE PEOPLE OF HONG

KONG COULD BUILD THEIR FUTURE AND ALSO FOR IMPROVED BILATERAL

RELATIONS.

5. ZHAO SAID THAT THE SATISFACTORY CONCLUSION OF THE AGREEMENT

WAS THE RESULT OF FRIENDLY BILATERAL RELATIONS. IT WAS AAR EF BLMGQV IFM

OF HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE. THE AGREEMENT HAD NOT ONLY

CONFIDENTIAL

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