TNAG-1431-FCO40-1914-Sensitivity-review-of-FCO-records-on-Hong-Kong-1985 — Page 32

CODE 18-77 AWO Ltd. 7/84

HK 2 ADV

Mr

Powell, HKD

CONFIDENTIAL

Reference..

...HKK...4.4.4.7.1.

MKK 444/1

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

30 JUL 185

4t

Mr Ehrman, HKD

REVIEW OF HONG KONG RECORDS

1.

INDEX

Purves of

I attended the meeting in LRI today with Md Hong Kong Government and representatives ΟΙ PUSD and Security Department. The main purpose was to enable Mr Purves to elaborate on the Hong Kong Government's

concerns:

a) release of Hong Kong-sensitive documents here; and

arrangements for scrutinising UK/Hong Kong sensitive documents in Hong Kong before 1997.

b)

2.

We reached no conclusions on either: (b) in particular will have to await Miss Blayney's forthcoming visit to Hong Kong; but Mr Purves left no one in any doubt as to the magnitude of the task out there.

3. On (a) the meeting was I think useful in impressing upon those present Hong Kong's acut-e sensitivity over matters that from here may seem harmles 8 the incident of the 1954 Cabinet papers was dissected in great detail. Mr Purves also made the point that as ide even from the elapse of time between now and 1997, the development of representative government is likely to heighten local sensitivity to such issues: in other words, sensitivity would increase, rather the reverse. I added my own caveats about the need for us to err on the side of caution, particularly now, when we were still finding our

way in a new post-Agreement phase.

than

4

Miss Veitch indicated that s ome 30 FCO/Colonial office files had already come to light this year which she would, under Our latest guidelines, have to refer to HKD (mostly on defence and immigration). I repeated the need for us to see too much rather than too little, at least until we had the feel of things. (The papers will start coming soon, often with LRD deadlines of 14 days or less, by the way!) Miss Blayney mentioned that MOD had their own procedure, but had now been strictly upbraided to exercise great care with Hong Kong papers.

5.

for

6. In all, a useful meeting from Hong Kong's viewpoint,

reasons at para 3. Mr Purves gave a good presentation the new "Hong Kong dimension" оп

the

of

this

issue.

Aut

30 July 1985

CE Leeks

Hong Kong Department

CONFIDENTIAL

THIS IS A COPY

THE ORIGINAL HAS BEEN

CLOSED FOR

40 YEARS UNDER FOI EXEMPTION No. 2760)