TNAG-1837-FCO40-2612-House-of-Commons-Select-Committee-on-Foreign-Affairs-enquiry-1989 — Page 60

A

CONFIDENTIAL AND PERSONAL

Sectory of State 11

&ly

From: D Gillmore

PF1AAD

HKB 011/3

20JAN1989

Date:

10 January 1989

Private Secretary

CC:

PS/Lord Glenarthur

PS/PUS

Mr McLaren o.r.

Mr Teasdale

Mr Holt, PRU

FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE: POSSIBLE ENQUIRY INTO HONG KONG

1. Please refer to your minute of 5 January to Mr Hum.

2.

I duly briefed Mr Howell on 10 January, with Mr Hum in support.

I made it clear that I was doing so on a strictly personal basis, on the Secretary of State's instructions.

3.

I explained frankly the sensitivities surrounding an enquiry by

the FAC into Hong Kong, drawing particular attention to:

FOI EXEMPTION NO.

CLOSED UNDER

THE ORIGINAL HAS BEEN THIS IS A COPY

27.0)..

i) our continuing delicate negotiation with China

ii)

over Hong Kong, and the importance of keeping it

confidential;

the formal position that many of the issues most

exercising Hong Kong, notably the drafting of the

Basic Law, were matters for the Chinese rather than

the British Government.

iii)

the extreme Chinese suspicion about the parliamentary

process, and the disquiet that they would feel if we

briefed Parliament (even in confidence) in any detail

on our dealings with them;

CONFIDENTIAL AND PERSONAL

/iv) the

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