CONFIDENTIAL
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
London SW1A 2AH
Mr ID Brown
Head of Common Services (Records)
MOD
St Christopher House
Southwark Street
LONDON SE1 OTD
Ar Galyauly
44
LRD
very cautious
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19/1
Telephone 01- 275 3098
Your reference
Our reference LRR 333/4
19 April 1985
MKK 444/1
RECEIVEL H. STOTRY
Date
2 4 APF 1985
DESK OREO
INDEX
taken
Dear Fan,
Le
1. Thank you for your letter of 22 February about Hong Kong files. I am sorry to have taken so long to reply, in view of pressures elsewhere.
2. Despite the UK/Chinese agreement on Hong Kong, or perhaps because of it, papers relating to the defence of Hong Kong must still be regarded as sensitive. The revelation of some of our
past policies could still cause embarrassment for us there: indeed, we have been asked to take particular care in reviewing for release to take into account any potential adverse effect on local public opinion during the run-down to the hand-over of Hong Kong to the Chinese in 1997 and are working closely with the FCO department concerned and, as necessary, others to ensure that we are kept fully aware of local sensitivities.
3. I should be grateful, therefore, if you could consult us before releasing any papers which you think might fall into this category. I have in mind, inter alia, issues such as our potential reactions to an attack on Hong Kong, including possible abandonment of the territory. But, in your own reviewing, please take a broad view: in this instance, we would rather be over-consulted than under- consulted.
No Powell fi
Che 19/4
Све
Your ever,
Heather
HN P Harrison (Miss) Head of Records Branch Library & Records Dept
CONFIDENTIAL
RECEIVED IN SEGISTRY
24 APR 1985
PA
TRY
on Taken
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