TNAG-1479-FCO40-2011-Future-of-Hong-Kong-despatches-1986 — Page 31

13.

CONFIDENTIAL

Hong Kong bilateral difference

contained.

remains largely self

12.

We must not be complacent.

As the Ambassador says, if

Hong Kong is taken away, there is limited substance to ow

political relations. And our trading performance is

As some of and competitors. disappointing compared with een Germanyche.

I believe that

with Current

there is probably little more HMG can picably do to accelerate progren. addition-CO-BUFFERT 8££OFTS

We are already working hard to

develop the political depth of the relationship (and few

and

competitors can match a State Visit); that

part of the and reflects

problem probably lies in the private sector, our

industrial performance.

underlying economic strength.

Nevertheless, China is

important to us and will become more so. We must not lose

opportunities to build up the relationship.

Par Eastern Department

Interest in China in already cunderable in the ran up to this year's wits. In vere view q this a to queeks of

q

the despatch, I recommend that you entrouge printing in

to

the general distributiER,

J19ABD

CONFIDENTIAL