TNAG-1749-FCO40-2468-Visit-by-Sir-Geoffrey-Howe--Secretary-of-State-for-Foreign-a-1988 — Page 143

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 1990

OF 241035Z MAY 88

CONFIDENTIAL

TOP COPY

Q DIST 7

167

044502

MDHIAN 0577

НКВ

027/3

88

PERSONAL FOR HUM, HKD, FROM GOVERNOR

SECRETARY OF STATE'S VISIT: MEETING WITH EXCO

•

I HAVE DISCUSSED WITH SIR S.Y CHUNG AND NON-OFFICIAL MEMBERS OF EXCO THE HANDLING OF THAT PART OF THE MEETING ON 31 MAY WHICH THE SECRETARY OF STATE WILL ATTEND. IT IS BOTH TRADITIONAL AND USEFUL TO GIVE NON-OFFICIAL MEMBERS THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON MATTERS OF PARTICULAR CONCERN TO THEM. IF THE SECRETARY OF STATE SEES NO OBJECTION, I PROPOSE THEREFORE TO CONDUCT THE MEETING AS

IN THE FOLLOWING PARAGRAPHS.

2. I WILL BEGIN BY WELCOMING THE SECRETARY OF STATE AND HIS PARTY VERY BRIEFLY. I SUGGEST HE SHOULD THEN SAY A FEW WORDS ABOUT BEING PLEASED TO BE BACK IN HONG KONG: THE IMPORTANCE THAT HE ATTACHES TO THE CAREFUL ADVICE GIVEN BY EXCO: AND HIS APPRECIATION

OF THE TIME THEY ALL SPEND ON PUBLIC AFFAIRS.

3. I WILL THEN TURN TO SIR S.Y. CHUNG. HE WILL GIVE A RUN-DOWN (SHORT I HOPE SINCE I HAVE TOLD HIM THE SECRETARY OF STATE IS FULLY BRIEFED) ON HOW HE SEES THE CURRENT SITUATION.

4. AFTER THAT, LYDIA DUNN WILL TALK ABOUT VIETNAMESE REFUGEES, ALLEN LEE ABOUT THE DCA, PETER C. WONG ABOUT THE TREATMENT OF HONG KONG RESIDENTS AT UK PORTS OF ENTRY AND DR. CHIU HING-KWONG AND DR. DANIEL TSE ABOUT THE BASIC LAW AND EXPECTATIONS OF THE ROLE WHICH HMG SHOULD PLAY IN RELATION TO IT. THE GENERAL SUBJECT OF BN(0) PASSPORTS MAY ALSO BE RAISED.

5. WE SHALL HAVE TO DECIDE AS WE GO ALONG WHETHER THE SECRETARY OF STATE SHOULD RESPOND ON EACH ITEM OR DO AN OMNIBUS RESPONSE AT

THE END. THE LATTER IS PROBABLY BETTER TO AVOID THE RISK OF

GETTING STUCK ON ONE OF THE SUBJECTS. BUT VIETNAMESE REFUGEES ARE IN A CLASS OF THEIR OWN. DEPENDING ON WHAT LYDIA DUNN SAYS, IT MAY BE WORTH PROVIDING AN OPPORTUNITY FOR A MORE GENERAL EXCHANGE ON THAT PARTICULAR ISSUE.

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