TNAG-1840-FCO40-2615-House-of-Commons-Select-Committee-on-Foreign-Affairs-enquiry-1989 — Page 105

CONFIDENTIAL AND PERSONAL

Secretary of State 11

D Gillmore

Date:

10 January 1989

PF1AAD

HKB 011/3

RECEIVED YN NEGÍSTRÝ

INDEX

20 JAN1989

SK OFFICER

REGIST Action Taka

r

From:

CC:

Private Secretary

S/Lord Glenarthur

PS/PUS

Mr McLaren o.r.

Mr Teasdale

Mr Holt, PRU

FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE:

POSSIBLE ENQUIRY INTO HONG KONG

10

A

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:

i)

ii)

iii)

our continuing delicate negotiation with China 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. We had multifarious contacts

with the Chinese over these issues, but it was vital

that these should remain unacknowledged;

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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