TNAG-2660-FCO40-3856-Future-of-Hong-Kong-British-Consulate-General-1992 — Page 31

CONFIDENTIAL

под

(89

154071 MDTTAN 1735

ith D

Ch2%

CONFIDENTIAL

FM PEKING

TO TELELETTER FCO

TELELETTER N F R

OF 270219Z JUNE 92

INFO TELELETTER HONG KONG, UKREP JLG HONG KONG, BTC HONG KONG INFO TELELETTER OVERSEAS ESTATE DEPARTMENT

FROM

TELELETTER

SIR ROBIN MCLAREN, PEKING NFR OF 27 JUNE 1992

FOLLOWING FOR CHRISTOPHER HUM, AUSS, FCO COPIED TO

LORD WILSON OF TILLYORN, HONG KONG

A C GALSWORTHY, UKREP JLG HONG KONG S P DAY, BTC HONG KONG

M BERTRAM, OED FCO

Mr Morris

b 30/6

pa.

2016

RESIDENCE OF FUTURE BRITSH CONSUL-GENERAL IN HONG KONG

1

·

IN YOUR LETTER OF 18 JUNE TO DAVID WILSON YOU INVITED MY COMMENTS ON THE PROPOSAL THAT HEADQUARTER HOUSE SHOULD BE MADE AVAILABLE TO HMG AS A RESIDENCE FOR THE FUTURE BRITISH CONSUL-GENERAL, AS PART OF A PACKAGE IN WHICH HMG WOULD HANDOVER CERTAIN PROPERTIES TO THE HKG.

2.

I CAN SEE THE ATTRACTIONS OF THIS SOLUTION FOR THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT BUT I DO NOT THINK IT REMOTELY SALEABLE TO THE CHINESE. I AGREE ENTIRELY WITH THE ASSESSMENTS ON THIS POINT IN YOUR LETTER AND IN TONY GALSWORTHY'S OF 2 JUNE. GOVERNMENT HOUSE APART, THE MILITARY DIMENSION MEANS THAT HEADQUARTER HOUSE IS THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT RESIDENCE WE ARE LEAST/LEAST LIKELY TO BE ABLE TO EXTRACT FROM THE CHINESE.

3. MOST HONG KONG GOVERNMENT PROPERTIES LACK SOME OF THE REPRESENTATIONAL FEATURES WE WILL BE LOOKING FOR IN A CONSUL-GENERAL'S RESIDENCE. BUT I CAN THINK OF ONE OR TWO, APART FROM VICTORIA HOUSE, WHICH MIGHT BE SUITABLE. IF A NON-MILITARY PROPERTY WHICH FITS THE BILL COULD BE IDENTIFIED WE MIGHT/MIGHT STAND A CHANCE OF PERSUADING THE CHINESE TO AGREE, ALWAYS PROVIDED WE CHOSE THE TIMING OF OUR APPROACH CAREFULLY.

4.

I AM COPYING THIS LETTER TO THOSE TO WHOM YOU SENT COPIES OF YOUR LETTER.

PAGE CONFIDENTIAL

1

HICD 406/1

23