TNAG-1390-FCO40-1862-Future-of-Hong-Kong-briefing-for-meetings-and-visits-1985 — Page 9

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minute/letter deletter/despatch/note

77

DSR 11 (Revised)

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DRAFT:

FROM:

D COATES

DEPARTMENT:

TEL. NO:

31

TYPE: Draft/FinalT

Reference

K

SECURITY CLASSIFICATION

TO:

Top Secret

Secret

Confidential

Restricted

Unclassified

PRIVACY MARKING

............. Confidence

CAVEAT.

Sir W Harding (o.r.)

SUBJECT:

Your Reference

Copies to:

Mr David Thomas Dr Wilson

Mr Elliott, FED

CHINESE ACTIVITIES IN ANTARCTICA

minute

1. Following Mr Sindall's minute of 28 January, you

asked what Dr Laws, the Director of British Antarctic

Survey (BAS) thought of recent Chinese activities in

the light of his visit to Peking. I now attach a

copy of Dr Laws' visit report.

x

2.

Predictably perhaps, the report is heavy on travel

content and light on information to add to what we

already know of Chinese activities and interests in

Antarctica. It does, however, underline a Chinese

desire to progress fairly rapidly from a modest base

and their consequent need to rely upon logistic

and other facilities from Antarctic Treaty Consultative

Parties with easy access to the Continent. Since the

nearest UK logistical base to the Antarctic Treaty area is

in the Falkland Islands, the Chinese were faced with the

prospect of impinging upon one delicate colonial

situation at precisely the time that they were about

one,

to resolve another situation (Hong Kong) with

the same colonial power, ha\UEL. The timing of the

Anglo/Chinese announcement on Hong Kong and the

Chinese publication of their intentions in Antarctica

/were