TNAG-1888-FCO40-2681-Visits-from-Hong-Kong-and-China-to-the-UK-1989 — Page 70

FAYAIM (2)

for Hong Kong and do not encourage British companies to use Hong

Kong as a launching pad for the region.

4. You may wish to be aware that there recently was a long article in the South China Morning Post (SCMP) criticising HKG's handling of the whole project - but not primarily because the wrong consortium

got the tender.

5. It is difficult to predict what line the delegation will take

on the right of abode question. We understood that the Chamber of

Commerce's view is that all BDTCS should get right of abode but

privately certainly Dr Sohmen and Mr Barrow admit this is not

possible.

6.

The delegation may raise the "lease-back" proposal (where HKG/HMG pay China say USD 1 billion per year to keep HK under the current administration but Chinese sovereignty).

This was a pet

subject of Dr Sohmen's a couple of months ago when he expounded it

in a long article which appeared in both the SCMP and Standard.

7. I attach a copy of a memo which indicates that Mr Barrow is also here lobbying along with a good few other prominent HK personalities.

Mill Jeffre

M V Stone