TNAG-2701-FCO40-3907-Memoirs-of-Sir-Percy-Cradock--diplomat-and-sinologist-1993 — Page 70

VERMENT HOUSE HONG KONG.

THU 29 APR 93 67:49

PG.02

The Rt Hon Christopher Patten

香海緣督府

GOVERNMENT

1 HO

HOUSE

CONFIDENTIAL

29 April 1993

AND STRICTLY PERSONAL

Ir pan.

Thank you very much for your letter of 29 April.

Lot mo oay straight away Llial I agree with your codswallop thesis. Since I was appointed I have had extremely good support and excellent advice from FCO officials, in London, Hong Kong and Peking. I have been most grateful for the commitment Uliai. everyone has shown.

What unfortunately makea a story that the Press want to write look more credible is the attitude taken by one o: two former members of the Service. obviously, Six Percy Cradock's criticisms have been the most damaging. It Baemo to mo, without wishing to be paranoid, that he has moved from being a critic on the sidelines to striving actively to scupper what we acc seying to do. It is in this context that I goa hip propoced visit to Hong Kong and China. Given that difficult negotiations have started, it is inconceivable that his itinerary will not be seen as more of the secret diplomacy with which his name is associated. The Chinese are likely to be happy to play this up. it will be,

at boat, embarzasoing and, at worst, it will ha nsed to undermine our authority and to make it look as lough

are all being sidelined.

in the circumstances, I think that, at the very least, he should be approached and asked not to go; and if this has no offaot, it should be made perfectly apparent subsequently that the Fco did ask him not to

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doso. not

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for briazing, I cannot now see what good this If we have been briefing him up to now it does zeem. to have worked to our advantage. Indeed be appcaro to have gone back on his undertaking to Alastair Goodlad to keep low.

Thr. Hun

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