TNAG-2346-FCO40-3415-Political-relations-between-Hong-Kong--Japan-and-China-1991 — Page 131

CONFIDENTIAL

Carver

HKD $21

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CONFIDENTIAL

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TO IMMEDIATE TOKYO

TELNO 445

OF 03180OZ JULY 94

97–

AND TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG, PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG

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11

034066

MDHOAN 6604

the Japan / HIL / CHima

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.

JA

JAPAN/HONG KONG

BURNS TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY OF A CALL BY MR TANAKA (POLITICAL COUNSELLOR, JAPANESE EMBASSY) ON 3 JULY TO BRIEF HIM ON THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS ON HONG KONG.

1.

2. BURNS SAID THAT WE HAD MANAGED TO REACH AGREEMENT WITH THE CHINESE ON THE HONG KONG AIRPORT FOLLOWING SIR PERCY CRADOCK'S VISIT TO PEKING. HE TOLD TANAKA THAT AN ANNOUNCEMENT WOULD BE MADE AT 08.00 GMT IN PEKING AND LONDON, THAT THE GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG WOULD BE GIVING A PRESS CONFERENCE, AND THAT STATEMENTS WOULD BE MADE IN BOTH HOUSES ON THE AFTERNOON OF 4 JULY. HE ADDED THAT IT WOULD ALSO BE ANNOUNCED THAT THE PRIME MINISTER WOULD VISIT CHINA AT A TIME TO BE DECIDED. BURNS SAID THAT WE WERE GRATEFUL FOR THE SUPPORT OF BOTH MR KAIFU AND MR NAKAYAMA IN SPEAKING TO THE CHINESE ON HONG KONG AND HOPED THAT, IN VIEW OF OUR MUTUAL INTEREST IN THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF HONG KONG, THE JAPANESE WOULD GIVE A POSITIVE REACTION TO THE ANNOUNCEMENT.

3.

TANAKA SAID THAT HE WAS SURE THAT THE JAPANESE GOVERNMENT WOULD BE PLEASED BY THE ANNOUNCEMENT AND WOULD MAKE A POSITIVE STATEMENT. THE JAPANESE HAD A STAKE IN THE STABILITY OF HONG KONG. HE HOPED THAT JAPANESE EFFORTS IN PUTTING THE CASE ACROSS TO THE CHINESE HAD BEEN OF SOME HELP. MR NAKAYAMA HAD JUST WRITTEN TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE ABOUT HONG KONG BUT THE LETTER HAD PROBABLY NOW BEEN OVERTAKEN BY EVENTS. HE SAID THAT HE HOPED WE WOULD LET THE JAPANESE KNOW IF THERE WAS ANYTHING FURTHER THEY COULD DO, PARTICULARLY IN VIEW OF MR KAIFU'S VISIT TO CHINA FROM 10-13 AUGUST.

HURD

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