TNAG-2512-FCO40-3665-Future-of-Hong-Kong-International-Rights-and-Obligations-(IR-1992 — Page 185

THE RT. HON. SIR GEOFFREY HOWE, QC,

ONE MOUNT STREET

LONDON WIY 5AA

071-493-9361

IN CONFIDENCE

Dear John

The Grechts

27th May, 1992

FED (iw. James)

c. it. H

To incorporate if like I write to

kin

عه منوعه

filer Lotes 16.

First of all, a warm word of thanks (from Arabella

too) for your kind hospitality, in such Shah-laden

splendour! It was a very helpful and delicious

occasion.

It may be worth passing on further more mature

reflections on two points that we discussed:

1.

2.

Hong Kong Despite the obvious difficulties involved

in deciding whether or not and, if so, when to

visit the Colony in the context of the China Mission, I feel fairly sure that a Hong Kong call at some point (probably on the way in?) is virtually

essential. I have only ever made one visit to Hong Kong when I confined myself to the airport that

was on the way to see you in Canberra. Even then, my failure to "go ashore" was regarded as extremely chicken! A fortiori, if I attempted to avoid Hong Kong altogether in the circumstances.

Tibet The second Times piece by Levin (Monday 25th

May), strengthens my conviction that this is

potentially the most difficult issue of all. The

most helpful Report of the recent FCO visit to

Tibet, which you have lent to me, shows just how easy it is for people like us to ignore the

proposition that "good Government is no substitute

for self-Government". Quite apart from my

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