TNAG-1852-FCO40-2627-House-of-Commons-Select-Committee-on-Foreign-Affairs-enquiry-1989 — Page 14

CONFIDENTIAL

Chinese Complaints about Internationalisation

- Have made clear to Chinese both publicly and in private our

position on international role Hong Kong plays.

Prosperity of Hong Kong both today and in future depends on

maintaining its role as international trade and financial centre.

(Eleventh in league of world's trading economies, has world's

busiest container port and is major gateway to trade with S China.)

-

JD itself makes clear that SAR should remain international

financial centre.

- It follows that we must therefore maintain international support

for and confidence in Hong Kong during and beyond transition

period.

-

For these reasons, we worked together after signature of JD to gain international support.

We were successful: there is now

widespread support in the international community for JD. Important

that this support should not wane.

We have never suggested and would not suggest that third countries should have role in implementing JD or should have right to

intervene in Hong Kong's political situation.

- But economic interests of third countries in Hong Kong mean they have natural interest in Hong Kong's future stability.

NESACR (7)

CONFIDENTIAL