TNAG-2596-FCO40-3784-Appointment-of-Chris-Patten-as-new-Governor-of-Hong-Kong--Ap-1992 — Page 105

A

Sir J Coles

PS/Mr Patten

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FROM: P F Ricketts

Hong Kong Department

DATE: 22 June 1992

cc: Mr Bickham,

Special Advisers

MR PATTEN'S ARRIVAL SPEECH IN HONG KONG: FIRST DRAFT

(274)

1.

I submit a first draft of this speech. Mr Patten asked

that Mr Llewelyn should see it en route to him. Could Mr Morris please arrange this?

2. As Mr Patten suggested, I have avoided the familiar Hong Kong political vocabulary. The speech contains no references to continuity, convergence, prosperity, stability, freedom or the pace of democratisation. I do not think that it should be taken as provocative by the Chinese. But I suggest that we show the next version of the speech to Sir Robin McLaren and Mr Galsworthy for their assessment of the impact on the Chinese, as well as to the Governor for advice on whether the speech touches the right chords for

Hong Kong.

3. I attach a copy of Lord Wilson's equivalent speech in 1987, as a guide to length. I have asked Hong Kong to let me have early copies of the speeches by Sir D Ford and Baroness Dunn, which will precede that by Mr Patten.

HKD 190/1

Za Vachett

PF Ricketts

BE3ABL/1

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