TNAG-2591-FCO40-3779-Appointment-of-Chris-Patten-as-new-Governor-of-Hong-Kong--Ap-1992 — Page 16

CONFIDENTIAL

(120) 164264

MDTTAN 8171

CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO

TO TELELETTER HONG KONG

TELELETTER NFR

OF 051616Z MAY 92

PPC.

जनर

FOR WILLIAM EHRMAN ESQ, POLITICAL ADVISER, HONG KONG FROM PETER RICKETTS, HKD

BRIEFING THE NEW GOVERNOR

106

MANY THANKS FOR YOUR TELELETTER OF 29 APRIL WITH ITS IMPRESSIVE LIST OF BRIEFS FOR THE NEW GOVERNOR.

1.

2 -

WE HAVE NOW HAD THE NEW GOVERNOR IN THE OFFICE PART-TIME SINCE HIS APPOINTMENT: HE WILL BECOME FULL-TIME FOLLOWING THE LOCAL ELECTIONS HERE ON 7 MAY. WE HAVE ALREADY BEGUN TO FEED HIM PAPER, MAINLY DRAWING ON THE BRIEFS PREPARED FOR THE INCOMING GOVERNMENT. THIS HAS INEVITABLY COVERED A NUMBER OF THE TOPICS ON YOUR LIST SUCH AS CHINESE POLICY-MAKING ON HONG KONG AND A NUMBER OF THE SPECIFIC JLG ISSUES, AS WELL AS THE CLUTCH OF THORNY PROBLEMS COVERED BY YOUR BRIEF NO XIX. BUT I DO NOT SEE THAT THIS SHOULD INHIBIT YOU FROM PRODUCING YOUR OWN BRIEFS ON THESE SUBJECTS. THE HONG KONG ANGLE IS BOUND TO BE SOMEWHAT DIFFERENT FROM THE LONDON ANGLE: THAT IS SOMETHING THE NEW GOVERNOR WILL HAVE TO BECOME ACCUSTOMED TO EXCLAM JUST TO PREVENT DUPLICATION, YOU NEED NOT PROVIDE THE TEXTS OF THE BASIC READING MATERIAL REFERRED TO IN YOUR BRIEF NO 1: WE HAVE ALREADY GIVEN HIM A FULL PACK OF THESE DOCUMENTS, ALTHOUGH YOUR PROPOSED NOTE ON THE BASIC LAW WOULD BE A HELPFUL SUPPLEMENT TO THE BRIEFING WE HAVE ALREADY GIVEN HIM ON THAT.

SIGNED P F RICKETTS

YYYY

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1/MAT 1992

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