TNAG-1491-FCO40-2049-Future-of-Hong-Kong-General-Agreement-on-Tariffs-and-Trade-(-1986 — Page 187

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布政司署

香港下亞厘畢道

* OUR REF.: TIBCR 11/5401/68 VI

來函檔號 YOUR REF.:

Dr D.C. Wilson, CMG,

Foreign and Commonwealth Office,

London SW1A 2AH,

U.K.

David,

GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT

LOWER ALBERT ROAD

HONG KONG

24 January 1986

The S

30

Thank you for your kind letter of 16 January

281,

and your best wishes for 1986 - which are warmly reciprocated.

While having some cautious optimism, I agree entirely with your sentiments about not counting unhatched chickens. In any case, as recorded in para. 3(a) of Peking telno 32, the ground had been well prepared by the Leader for subsequent progress!

It has been on my conscience to apologise to you, Tony and all concerned in Hong Kong Department for the unnecessary trouble I caused for not including you in the stand-by message sent from Peking to Hong Kong on 9 January. That telegram was received in Hong Kong at 1814 local time, or close to starting time in London, and in normal circumstances you should all have got the substantive report within 2 to 3 hours of that. What was most remiss of me was not to have foreseen the foul Darwin weather or to appreciate the routing of Peking telegrams! I shall endeavour to do better next time (if there is a next time). However, as the timetable for the talks was fixed in advance and the weekend was at hand, I trust no one was ever in any doubt that an overnight response was desired. On this too I shall aim to do better

and, in future, make no allowances whatsoever.

+111 040/2

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

- 3 FEB 1986

DESK OFFICEK

Чыло

even

INDEX

PA

Kuz

( E. P. Ho )

Secretary for Trade and Industry

cc: J.D.I. Boyd, Esq., CMG

P.A.B. Thomson, Esq., Peking