TNAG-2658-FCO40-3854-Future-of-Hong-Kong-British-Consulate-General-1992 — Page 78

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PERSONAL FOR BURNS, AUSS.

FROM GOVERNOR.

MY TELNO 3640 OF 1991: RESIDENCE OF BRITISH CONSUL-GENERAL.

YOU WILL REMEMBER THAT, IN THE MEETING WITH LORD CAITHNESS ON 24 JANUARY, THE MINISTER WAS UNENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT THE THREE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT HOUSES OF WHICH WE HAD SENT DETAILS TO LONDON AND SUGGESTED THAT THE CHIEF SECRETARY'S RESIDENCE, VICTORIA HOUSE, WOULD BE MORE SUITABLE. YOU ADDED THAT THIS WOULD ONLY BE FEASIBLE FOR HMG AS PART OF A SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT WELL BELOW MARKET VALUE.

2. FOR THE REASONS I GAVE AT THE MEETING, I CONTINUE TO BELIEVE THAT SOME SPECIAL DEAL INVOLVING VICTORIA HOUSE IS A NON-STARTER. INDEED IT SEEMS TO ME QUITE LIKELY THAT THE FIRST CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF THE SAR WILL USE THAT HOUSE AS A RESIDENCE, ON THE GROUNDS THAT GOVERNMENT HOUSE MAY SEEM TO GRAND AND TOO COLONIAL.

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IF YOU REALLY CONSIDER THAT THE THREE HOUSES OF WHICH WE SENT DETAILS, WHICH ARE THE BEST HOUSES USED BY HONG KONG CIVIL SERVANTS APART FROM VICTORIA HOUSE ITSELF, THE FS'S HOUSE AND PROBABLY THE CJ'S HOUSE ARE UNSUITABLE, THEN I THINK WE SHOULD GIVE MORE THOUGHT TO THE FUTURE OF HEADQUARTERS HOUSE. THIS IS THIS IS NEXT TO VICTORIA HOUSE ON BARKER ROAD AND IS NOW THE OFFICIAL RESIDENCE OF THE COMMANDER BRITISH FORCES.

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ALTHOUGH HEADQUARTERS HOUSE ALSO BELONGS ULTIMATELY TO THE HKG, I WOULD SEE CONSIDERABLY LESS PROBLEM LOCALLY ABOUT IT BEING MADE AVAILABLE, ONE WAY OR ANOTHER, AS A RESIDENCE FOR THE BRITISH CONSUL-GENERAL. AS YOU KNOW, HOWEVER, IT FORMS PART OF THE MILITARY ESTATE AND THE CHINESE HAVE ALREADY SHOWN INTEREST IN IT (UKREP JLG TELNO 438 OF 1991). CLEARLY FINDING SOME WAY TO TRANSFORM IT INTO A RESIDENCE FOR THE FIRST CONSUL-GENERAL WOULD REQUIRE DISCUSSION WITH THE CHINESE. BUT THAT IS EQUALLY TRUE OF USING ANY PROPERTY WHICH IS DUE TO BE HANDED OVER INTACT TO THE GOVERNMENT OF THE SAR. THE ONLY POSSIBLE EXCEPTION TO THIS MIGHT BE A NON-PROMINENT HOUSE SOLD FOR FULL MARKET VALUE: BUT EVEN THEN COMMON SENSE WOULD SUGGEST A NEED TO KEEP THE CHINESE INFORMED. THE CHINA DIMENSION THEREFORE APPLIES TO ANY LIKELY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT INVOLVING HONG KONG GOVERNMENT PROPERTY.

WILSON

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