TNAG-1392-FCO40-1864-Future-of-Hong-Kong-briefing-for-meetings-and-visits-1985 — Page 86

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CONFIDENTIAL

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INGEA

- 4 OCT 1985

FROM: A C GAL SWORTHY, HKD

DATE: 1 October 1985

Private Secretary

SECRETARY OF STATE'S DINNER WITH SIR YK PAO: 2 OCTOBER

1.

Sir Y K has already had lunch with Sir Percy

Cradock: I had tea with him at the Berkeley Hotel yesterday. Sir Y K spoke to both

of us on familiar

for caution in political reform

lines about the need

in Hong Kong. On this he is expressing both his own

view and what has been said to him in China.

I am

Secretary of State.

sure

he will say the same to the

suggest that the Secretary of State should say that we understand very well the need for caution and prudence,

but that there are political aspirations in Hong Kong

and that to do nothing would be as dangerous as doing

too much. The Chinese may however be sure that we will do nothing rash.

2.

Sir YK also told Sir Percy that the Chinese had

asked him to be Chairman of the Basic Law Consultative

He said that he would be consulting the

Committee.

Foreign Secretary about his response.

I suggest that the Secretary of State might

say that it will be important that

that the chairman should

command the confidence of the other members, and that

Sir

K will want to make sure that he has that

confidence, but that this consideration apart it is very

much a matter for Sir Y K himself to decide.

Y

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