TNAG-2362-FCO40-3433-Visit-by-John-Major--UK-Prime-Minister--to-Hong-Kong--Septem-1991 — Page 50

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HKD 24/3 Py

146 104623

MDLOAN 3101

CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO

TO PRIORITY GUIDANCE

TELNO GUIDANCE 42

OF 09160OZ SEPTEMBER 91

TOP COP

AND TO PRIORITY ISLAMIC POSTS, OECD POSTS, OAS POSTS, OAU POSTS AND TO PRIORITY EAST EUROPEAN POSTS, BTC HONG KONG, PEKING, NICOSIA AND TO PRIORITY PRETORIA, SINGAPORE, SEOUL, BANGKOK, UKMIS NEW YORK AND TO PRIORITY BIS NEW YORK, HOLY SEE, MANILA, WINDHOEK, HANOI AND TO PRIORITY KATHMANDU, RANGOON, VALLETTA, UKDEL NATO

TO PRIORITY UKDIS GENEVA, UKMIS VIENNA, UKDEL VIENNA, KUWAIT AND TO PRIORITY UKDEL STRASBOURG, GIBRALTAR, UKMIS GENEVA AND TO PRIORITY UKDEL IMF/IBRD WASHINGTON

AND TO SAVING BELMOPAN, GEORGETOWN, KINGSTON, NASSAU

HONG KONG

INTRODUCTION

1. THE PRIME MINISTER AND THE SECRETARY OF STATE VISITED PEKING FROM 2-4 SEPTEMBER AND HONG KONG FROM 4-5 SEPTEMBER. THE MAIN REASON FOR THE VISIT WAS TO SIGN THE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING ON THE NEW HONG KONG AIRPORT (GUIDANCE TELNO 24), AND HONG KONG WAS AT THE CENTRE OF DISCUSSIONS IN PEKING. THIS TELEGRAM DEALS ONLY WITH HONG KONG ASPECTS OF THE VISIT.

LINE TO TAKE

2. A SUCCESSFUL VISIT WHICH MET OUR OBJECTIVES AND PROVED THE VALUE OF HIGH-LEVEL DIALOGUE WITH CHINA ON HONG KONG QUESTIONS. IT CONFIRMED THAT THE CONCLUSION OF THE AIRPORT NEGOTIATIONS HAS OPENED A NEW PHASE OF MORE FRUITFUL CO-OPERATION REGARDING HONG KONG WHICH SHOULD HAVE WIDE BENEFITS FOR THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG AND INTERNATIONAL INVESTORS THERE.

ADDITIONAL POINTS

3.

THE PRIME MINISTER HELD TALKS WITH PREMIER LI PENG AND MET PRESIDENT YANG SHANGKUN AND COMMUNIST PARTY SECRETARY, JIANG ZEMIN. THE SECRETARY OF STATE TOOK PART IN THESE MEETINGS AND ALSO HAD SEPARATE TALKS WITH FOREIGN MINISTER QIAN QICHEN. HONG KONG WAS A MAJOR TOPIC OF ALL THESE DISCUSSIONS. THE GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG, SIR DAVID WILSON, WAS IN THE DELEGATION AND HAD TALKS WITH THE DIRECTOR OF THE HONG KONG AND MACAO AFFAIRS OFFICE OF THE STATE COUNCIL, LU PING. THE SENIOR BRITISH REPRESENTATIVE TO THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP, MR GALSWORTHY,

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