TNAG-1967-FCO40-2799-Confidence-building-measures-for-Hong-Kong-1989 — Page 39

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B

C

D

(b) Message to Summit Seven Partners, 3 July

4.

During his visit to Hong Kong, Sir Geoffrey Howe sent a message

to Summit partners in advance of the Paris Summit, drawing attention

to concerns in Hong Kong and flagging up the need for an international effort if things were to go disastrously wrong in Hong Kong in the future. He received no written response.

(c) Message to M Dumas, 11 July

5. Sir Geoffrey Howe followed this up with a message to the French Foreign Minister on 11 July. The message set out three objectives for the Summit as far as Hong Kong was concerned:

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to secure general recognition of the need to maintain confidence in Hong Kong;

to secure recognition of the need to maintain confidence in Hong Kong's freedoms; and

the secure recognition of the need for international action in the event of disaster in Hong Kong.

6. In event, we received no clear answers at the Summit: our partners were reluctant to make concrete commitments on immigration but did accept an encouraging reference to Hong Kong in the Declaration on China, acknowledging that the continuing support of the international community was essential to maintaining confidence in Hong Kong and a call on the Chinese Government to take steps to restore confidence.

(d) European Political Co-operation Ministerial Meeting, 11 July

7. Sir G Howe reported on his visit to Hong Kong, and urged the need for European partners to do everything possible to demonstrate their faith in Hong Kong's future. There was no detailed response from our partners.

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