TNAG-2503-FCO40-3641-Talks-between-China-and-the-European-Community-regarding-Hon-1992 — Page 2

CONFIDENTIAL

007363

MDLOAN 05

HKC 021/1

Sir John Coles

CONFIDENTIAL

TROIKA DISCUSSION OF HONG KONG

File.

FROM:

PF Ricketts

Hong Kong Department

DATE:

9 January 1992

CC:

PS

PS/Lord Caithness

Mr Appleyard

Mr Burns o/r

Mr Greenstock

Mr Davies, FED

Mr Madden, SED

ECD (P)

A 1.

The Private Secretary's minute to Mr Appleyard of 8 January reports the Portugese proposal that at a meeting with the Chinese Foreign Minister on 18 February the Troika might raise Hong Kong and Macao.

2.

I see considerable risks in this. Macao is a much smaller and simpler place than Hong Kong, and the Portuguese take their responsibilities there less seriously than we take ours for Hong Kong. Our discussions with the Chinese are correspondingly more intense, difficult and sensitive

than theirs.

3.

Particularly since Tiananmen, the Chinese have been paranoid about internationalisation of the Hong Kong problem, and we know that this remains one of their key concerns. Anything which fuels this paranoia makes it harder to do sensible bilateral business with them.

NC2AAV/1

CONFIDENTIAL

3