TNAG-2212-FCO40-3172-Hong-Kong-annual-report-for-1990-1991 — Page 77

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FM HONG KONG

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YRTELNOS 542 AND 543: ANNUAL REPORT ON HONG KONG

1. WE HAVE NOT REPLIED EARLIER TO TURS BECAUSE WE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE SENSIBLE TO REVIEW THE FAIRLY UPBEAT NOTE OF THE FOREWORD IN THE LIGHT OF THE OUTCOME OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S VISIT TO CHINA AND HONG KONG. IN ABSENCE OF ANY POSITIVE MOVEMENT ON THE PART OF THE CHINESE ON PADS, AND GIVEN THE LACK OF PROGRESS IN THE JLG, WE WOULD SUGGEST THAT SOME TONING DOWN, IN PARTICULAR OF THE SECOND, THIRD AND FINAL PARAGRAPHS, WOULD BE PRUDENT. YOU WILL OF COURSE WISH TO RECONSIDER THE DRAFT WHEN THE CURRENT TALKS ON THE NEW AIRPORT ARE CONCLUDED.

2. SPECIFICALLY, WE PROPOSE THE FOLLOWING AMENDMENTS FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION:

A. SECOND PARAGRAPH. THIS COULD READ QUOTE THERE NATURALLY CONTINUES TO SOME UNCERTAINTY AND CONCERN IN HONG KONG ABOUT THE FUTURE. HOWEVER, 1990 WAS A YEAR IN WHICH THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG, WITH CHARACTERISTIC RESILIENCE, REGAINED MUCH OF THE CONFIDENCE WHICH HAD BEEN LOST FOLLOWING THE EVENTS OF 1989 IN CHINA. UNQUOTE.

B. THIRD PARAGRAPH. TO BE AMENDED TO READ QUOTE THE SINO BRITISH JOINT DECLARATION PROVIDES A FOUNDATION FOR THE FUTURE. OUR FIRM INTENTION IS TO ENSURE THAT THIS AGREEMENT IS SUCCESSFULLY IMPLEMENTED. THIS REQUIRES CO-OPERATION WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE JOINT DECLARATION BETWEEN THE TWO GOVERNMENTS, BASED ON MUTUAL TRUST AND A RECOGNITION OF OUR COMMON INTEREST AND SHARED RESPONSIBILITIES. WE HAVE TAKEN CARE TO DEVELOP A PATTERN OF HIGH LEVEL CONTÁCTS WITH CHINA IN 1990. THE VISIT OF FRANCIS MAUDE TO PEKING IN JULY, THE VISIT IN NOVEMBER OF THE CHINESE DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER, MR TIAN ZENGPEI, AND THE VISIT OF THE GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG TO PEKING IN JANUARY THIS YEAR ARE NOTABLE EXAMPLES OF SUCH CONTACTS. I MYSELF VISITED CHINA AND HONG KONG IN APRIL. I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT THE TWIN OBJECTIVES OF A CO-OPERATIVE RELATIONSHIP WITH CHINA AND EFFECTIVE GOVERNMENT IN HONG KONG ARE TWO OF THE KEYS TO REASSURING THE PEOPLE OF THE TERRITORY ABOUT

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