TNAG-1603-FCO40-2210-Future-of-Hong-Kong-annual-reports-to-Parliament-on-Hong-Kon-1987 — Page 156

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FM FCO

TO PRIORITY HONG KONG TELNO 2773

OF 2009OOZ OCTOBER 87 INFO PRIORITY PEKING

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TOP COPY @ DIST 7 041317

MDLOAN 1115

Hi B

2 3 OCT 1987

YOUR TELNO 3892: ANNUAL REPORT ON HONG KONG TO PARLIAMENT

1.

WE AGREE WITH PARA 1 OF TUR, ALTHOUGH WE FEEL THE REPORT DOES NOT NECESSARILY HAVE TO BE PUBLISHED VERY FAR IN ADVANCE OF

WE THE WHITE PAPER. AS THE REPORT IS BASED ON THE CALENDAR YEAR, CAN HARDLY FINALISE THE TEXT IN EARLY DECEMBER AS YOU SUGGEST: BUT WE COULD AIM BY THEN TO HAVE THE DRAFTS AT AN ADVANCED STAGE

THIS SHOULD MAKE TO ALLOW FOR FINALISATION IN LATE DECEMBER. POSSIBLE A PUBLICATION IN LATE JANUARY.

LENGTH.

2.

(A)

(B)

3.

OUTLINE AND

FEEL THEY

FORMAT WE AGREE GENERALLY WITH THE PROPOSED

WE WOULD SUGGEST THE FOLLOWING CHANGES: PARA 3 OF TUR. WE NOTE YOUR RESERVATIONS ABOUT

BUT AS THEY ARE MENTIONING THESE CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES. ISSUES OF PUBLIC AND PARLIAMENTARY INTEREST WE SHOULD BE COVERED IN THE REPORT, ALBEIT BRIEFLY: WE ALSO BELIEVE THAT REFERENCE SHOULD BE MADE TO CONFIDENCE AND TRENDS IN EMIGRATION AS THEY LOOM LARGE IN MUCH INTERNATIONAL PRESS COVERAGE ON HONG KONG. PARLIAMENT WILL UNDERSTANDABLY HAVE AN INTEREST IN HMG'S

ASSESSMENT OF THESE ISSUES. IT SEEMS TO US THAT THERE IS USEFUL MATERIAL ON WHICH YOU MIGHT DRAW IN THE GOVERNOR'S RECENT ARTICLE FOR THE HARVARD

·

INTERNATIONAL

REVIEW THE BEST PLACE FOR SUCH A PASSAGE MIGHT BE IN THE CONCLUSION.

WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR YOUR OFFER TO PROVIDE A FIRST DRAFT WE AROUND THE END OF OCTOBER AND LOOK FORWARD TO RECEIVING IT. SUGGEST THAT, AS IN PREVIOUS YEARS. WE DRAFT THE SECTION ON

WE WILL BEGIN WORK ON IMPLEMENTATION OF THE JOINT DECLARATION.

IT NOW. BUT PRESSURE OF OTHER WORK MAY MAKE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO TELEGRAPH IT TO YOU UNTIL AFTER JLGVIII (THE OUTCOME OF WHICH IT WILL IN ANY CASE HAVE TO REFLECT).

HOWE

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