TNAG-1471-FCO40-2001-Ministerial-visits-from-the-UK-to-Hong-Kong-1986 — Page 12

CONFIDENTIAL

GRS 1000

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 161

OF 15110OZ JANUARY 86

4NFO IMMEDIATE PEKING

18

ARK 007/5...

L

TOP

WGISTRY

16 JAN 1986

AJB 10/1

CONFERENCE.

MY TELNO 106: MR. RENTON'S VISIT TO HONG KONG : PRESS CONFERENCE.

1. WE HAVE BEEN GIVING FURTHER THOUGHT TO THE QUESTIONS LIKELY TO

BE PUT TO MR. RENTON BY THE PRESS IN HONG KONG.

NATIONALITY.

2. WITHOUT DOUBT NATIONALITY WILL REMAIN THE HOTTEST SUBJECT. MR. RENTON MUST EXPECT PERSISTENT QUESTIONS ON CURRENT ISSUES AND ON THE 1981 ACT AS IT AFFECTED HONG KONG. HIS LINE WILL NEED TO REFLECT WHAT HAS BEEN SAID BY MINISTERS DURING THE DEBATE AT WESTMINSTER

AND REACTIONS HERE.

HMG'S INTEREST.

3. A SECOND, RELATED POINT WILL BE THE SUSPICION FOSTERED BY CERTAIN CORRESPONDENTS (STOCKWIN, BONAVIA, LAU) THAT BRITAIN IS WASHING PTS HANDS OF HONG KONG. THIS WILL HAVE RECEIVED STIMULUS FROM THE REMARKS OF MR. PADDY ASHDOWN MP (E OF MY TUR). MR. RENTON WILL WISH TO REBUT THIS FIRMLY, BY REFERENCE TO THE KEEN INTEREST OF PARLIAMENT IN HONG KONG (ANNUAL REPORT, NATIONALITY DEBATE), THE MINISTER'S OWN VISITS, AND HMG'S INTERVENTION ON HONG KONG'S

BEHALF OVER THE JENKINS BILL.

UK COMMERCIAL INTEREST.

4. THE RECENT AGREEMENT ON THE GUANGDONG NUCLEAR POWER STATION AT DAYA BAY MAY, SIMILARLY, BE INVOKED TO PROVE THE HMG PLACE GREATER WEIGHT ON UK COMMERCIAL INTERESTS IN CHINA THAN ON HONG

KONG. MR. RENTON COULD POINT OUT THAT:

(A) THERE IS NO QUESTION OF PUTTING BRITISH COMMERCIAL INTERESTS

IN CHINA AHEAD OF THE INTERESTS OF HONG KONG.

(B) THE QUESTION IS IN ANY CASE MISCONCEIVED. DEVELOPMENT OF SUBSTANT HAL ECONOMIC RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN UK AND CHINA LIKELY TO

BENEFIT RATHER THAN HARM HONG KONG.

(C) NOTHING IS MORE CALCULATED TO DAMAGE OVERALL UK POSITION

IN CHINA THAN TO NEGLECT OUR RESPONSIBILITIES IN HONG KONG.

(D) HONG KONG'S ROLE AS A UNIQUE PLACE FROM WHICH TO CONDUCT BRITISH

AND OTHER BUSINESS IN CHINA ALSO IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTORY FACTOR

TO LONG TERM FUTURE.

(E) CONTRACTS WHICH CONSOLIDATE OPEN DOOR POLICY CAN ONLY BENEFIT

HONG KONG.

CONFIDENTIAL

RE

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