TNAG-1600-FCO40-2193-Hong-Kong-1987-Review-of-Representative-Government-1987 — Page 55

Mr Mors o.r.

Mr Hum, HKD

SECRET

772

PA

HURB 011/2

нев.

MELEIVER IN HECISTRY

11 JAN 1988

CC:

PS/Lord Glenarthur

PS/PUS

Mr Gillmore

Mr McLaren

Mr Meyer, News Dept

PIDEX

PA

Hong Kong: White Paper on the Development of

Representative Government

The Secretary of State has studied your submission of 18 December. He does not find the attached sections of the White Paper on the development of representational government easy to appraise in isolation.

In general he is increasingly concerned about the trend of public opinion in the UK, and particularly in Parliament. He was quite impressed by the case made by Martin Lee in his letter to the Prime Minister. More recently, Hal Miller MP spoke to the Secretary of State in the lobby, and expressed his worry at the widespread perception in Hong Kong that Sir David Wilson was the PRC's man. His frequent visits to Peking appeared to have fuelled this. Hal Miller also referred to a growing perceived subordination of HKG/HMG to the PRC. Hal Miller did not appear basically to quarrel with our policy, but thought that the image was slipping so far as to endanger the policy.

Lord Chalfont also spoke to the Secretary of State about Hong Kong, which he had recently visited. He said that Hong Kong Chinese had spoken to him of their worry about the pace and scale of Sinification in Hong Kong. They had complained about HMG's attitude on direct elections, and also that Sir David Wilson was less approachable than Sir Edward Youde.

are

The Secretary of State realises that there always those who will criticise a new man by comparison with his predecessor, but is nevertheless worried about the number of such vibrations which are beginning to make themselves felt. He believes that we will have to make a major effort immediately after the holiday season to re-present our case.

On one specific point, Lord Chalfont told the Secretary of State that he had become involved as President of an organisation called "Friends of Hong Kong", which involved people by the name of Watkins, Baxter and Admiral Sir John Roxburgh. It appeared to be a rather right-wing organisation. The Secretary of State had the impression that Lord Chalfont was worried about his relationship to this organisation, and would welcome advice that he ought not to be associated with it. Do you know anything of this group?

22 December 1987

(A C Galsworthy)

SECRET