TNAG-2482-FCO40-3613-Correspondence-from-MPs-regarding-Hong-Kong-1992 — Page 27

Arki

FROM

NICHOLAS

BETHELL

The Rt Hon Alistair Goodlad,

House of Commons

Westminster

London SW1A OAA

EF MOR

HOUSE OF LORDS

TEL: 071-402-6877

FAX: 071-706-1287

MP

73 SUSSEX SQUARE

LONDON W2 2SS

Dear Alistair

611

M Modi's fi

Micr

4th November 1992

Kita

Maffucked

for shart + friendly reply pre

to

I am so sorry that I could not in the end get to your Lancaster House reception about Hong Kong.

I am pleased to see that Chris Patten is taking a robust line with China on this issue and I hope that eventually he will find a way of increasing the number of directly elected members of the Legislative Assembly.

Please do not be over-influenced by those who say that you are provoking the Chinese to do terrible things over Hong Kong. They will act in their national interest, which is to preserve Hong Kong as an important world economy and trading centre. They simply cannot afford to let it fall into chaos.

The same words of over-caution were used in the mid-1980s about the Soviet Union. We were told again and again, "Don't push the Soviets too hard. They will react angrily and all your efforts will be counter productive."

This proved to be the wrong advice and I beleive that similar advice, now being proferred about Hong Kong and China, is also wrong. Perhaps we could have another word about this some time soon.

With all good wishes,

Yous ever

mihizus

Lord Bethell,

MEP

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Mr Ricketts, Head of

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Mr Hum

HKD

Mr Davies, Head of FED

for advice and draft

reply please.

G.J. Devey stil

PS/M Goodhad