TNAG-1411-FCO40-1887-Future-of-Hong-Kong--Hong-Kong-a-Change-of-Destiny---despatc-1985 — Page 16

CONFIDENTIAL

DSR 11C

31 July 1984 that, despite all that he had said before,

the Chinese had finally come to the conclusion in the

course of the negotiations that they could trust Britain

on Hong Kong. The second was my meeting with EXCO the

next day in Hong Kong when Sir SY Chung expressed his

appreciation of the efforts of all involved and said that

the agreement was likely to be such that the Unofficials

could commend i t to the people of Hong Kong in good

conscience.

As you acknowledge in your despatch the role of the

Unofficials in the negotiation was a difficult one. They

fought hard for what they perceived to be the

the interests

of Hong Kong, and the confidentiality of the negotiations

prevented them from consulting the people of Hong Kong

about what was and what was not acceptable. They often

had to mak e difficult judgments, and they made them

courageously.

unnaturally their very determination

tensions between them and the

your handling of their advice which

ensured that there was never an outright split. I regard

a remarkable achievement, and one which was

crucial to the success of our endeavours. Without EXCO we

should not have carried the Hong Kong people.

at times

negotiators.

3

this as

Not

produced

It was

CONFIDENTIAL