TNAG-2592-FCO40-3780-Appointment-of-Chris-Patten-as-new-Governor-of-Hong-Kong--Ap-1992 — Page 52

CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO

TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

TELNO 789

OF 131406Z MAY 92

CONFIDENTIAL

135

004066

MDHOAN 4371

TOP COPY Q DIST?

рар

14/5.

PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR FROM RICKETTS, HKD

NT.

YOUR

YOUR TELNO 1286: PAPER FOR MR PATTEN

WHAT I SAID TO MICHAEL SZE

WAS THAT

READY BY THE

1.

THIS IS A GARBLE. MR PATTEN HAD COMMISSIONED A PAPER FROM US, TO BE END OF NEXT WEEK, WITH TWO ELEMENTS:

(A) A CRITICAL PATH ANALYSIS OF THE MAIN DECISIONS WITH IMPORTANT CHINA IMPLICATIONS THAT HE WOULD NEED TO TAKE OVER THE FIRST 6-12 MONTHS: AND

(B) WHERE CHINESE BREAK POINTS

MIGHT LIE.

I THINK MR PATTEN'S MAIN INTEREST IS TO TRY TO GET SOME FEEL, EVEN AT THIS EARLY STAGE, FOR HOW MUCH ROOM FOR MANOEUVRE HE WILL HAVE VIS-A-VIS PEKING ON THE MAJOR ISSUES.

2. I MADE CLEAR TO MICHAEL SZE THAT I WOULD OF COURSE BE SENDING A COPY OF THE DRAFT PAPER TO YOU AND TO SIR ROBIN MCLAREN FOR YOUR COMMENTS, HOPEFULLY BY THE END OF THIS WEEK. THIS WILL CLEARLY BE AN EXERCISE IN CRYSTAL BALL GAZING. I DO NOT THINK THAT THE PAPER CAN OR SHOULD GO INTO DETAIL ON THE INDIVIDUAL ISSUES. THE MAIN POINT WILL BE TO GIVE MR PATTEN A FEEL FOR THE INTER-RELATIONSHIPS, AND A POSSIBLE SEQUENCE FOR TACKLING THE KEY DECISIONS, AND LIKELY CHINESE ATTITUDES.

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