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NOTE ON TELEPHONE DISCUSSION BETWEEN MR GOODLAD AND THE GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG: 18 DECEMBER 1992
1.
The Governor referred to recent unhelpful statements by Lee Kuan Yew. He would be recommending pulling in the Singaporean High Commissioner in London to complain. The Minister agreed to consider this.
2. The Minister referred to a recent NCNA attack on Jardines. The Governor thought Jardines would say very little on this subject. The attack was in Hong Kong, not China.
3.
The Governor mentioned that the Hong Kong government had identified a 12 billion dollar surplus over and above that which they had expected.
4. The Governor thought the draft OPD (K) paper which he had seen was rather good. But he wanted to hold fire on this until the 22 December NPC meeting (which might result in a Chinese ultimatum and formation of a Preparatory Committee for the first Hong Kong SAR). He said that the debate on alternative constitutional proposals was warming up satisfactorily.
5. The Minister mentioned that he had been discussing with Hong Kong Department how to deal with the Chinese belief that the Governor's proposals were part of an international conspiracy. The Governor said he would like to nail this idea swiftly.
6. The Minister said he had entertained a number of permanent London-based businessmen with Hong Kong interests on 16 December. All were worried but being mature and would say nothing in public. Sir Adrian Swire was the most concerned. Lord Cairns had said that Warburgs would leave Hong Kong if something close to the Governor's proposals was not adopted.
7. The Minister mentioned he had received a letter from Peter Morrison. This said that the Governor's proposals would cause more anguish in the short term but in the longer term he would be thanked.
CC:
Private Secretary Sir J Coles
Mr Hum
Mr Davies, FED
Mr Ricketts, HKD
+ PS/Mг Goodlad
18 December 1992
CONFIDENTIAL
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