DB1AHH
AKKO26/4
RECEVEL
O 5FEB 1986
INDEX
LA
77
CONFIDENTIAL
Sourary of State
FROM: A C GAL SWORTHY
A
HKK 027/5
(116)
Dr Wilston
PS/Mr Rexton
Secretary
Private Secretary
Que T
Mr. Renzon
of state
on
DATE: 31 January 1986
cc: News Department
ce Sir WiHarding
discussed this briefly with
briefly with the Secretary
nothing 30 January. There is
mishes
ro
that he
add out this srage.
VISIT OF THE GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG: 10-14 FEBRUARY
1.
thermacok
In his minute of 29 January to the Secretary of State (para 6) Mr Renton suggested that the Ambassador in Peking
be should
to London at the s ame time
Governor.
back summoned
as
the
311,
2.
Dr Wilson and I discussed this with Mr Renton on 29
January. While
both we
agree that in an
ideal world it
would be useful for the Ambassador to be
present during
these discussions, we both felt
be that it would
very
difficult to handle in terms of public relations.
rather sudden departure of the Ambassador and Governor for talks here would suggest to the Hong Kong press that there
was
a
crisis of
some
kind,
and
that
it had
a
The
Chinese
dimension. I doubt whether anything we said would convince
them that this was not So.
Almost certainly in present
circumstances they would conclude that it concerned the 1987 development and "convergence". I
review
constitutional on
fear that many people would believe that we were fixing up policy on this in line with what the Chinese want,
without consultation with the people of Hong Kong.
Our
3. It will be remembered in Hong Kong that there have been
previous occasions
Ambassador
the Governor and the
for urgent
on
which both
have
come back
to London
consultations, and that these in general were the points in the negotiations where a crisis had occurred.
CONFIDENTIAL
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