TNAG-2702-FCO40-3908-Memoirs-of-Sir-Percy-Cradock--diplomat-and-sinologist-1993 — Page 158

30 July 1993

Sir Robin Butler GCB CVO Cabinet Office

CONFIDENTIAL

Foreign & Commonwealth

Office

London SW1A 2AH

Sir David Gillmore KCMG

The Permanent Under Secretary of State

1.

My dear Robin,

You asked for advice on Percy Cradock's letter of 20 July to you.

2. He is clearly concerned at the prospect that if he publishes his book he will attract official and public condemnation. The revised text of the chapters on the airport negotiations and constitutional development is an improvement on the first version. It goes a good way towards removing one of our concerns, that revelations about previous confidential negotiations with the Chinese will make the latter less willing to negotiate on current issues. He has also modified (though not eliminated) his criticism of HMG and the Governor, so the danger of the Chinese concluding that there are divided counsels within the Government and that this weakness can be exploited is reduced.

3. We therefore think it worthwhile to accept Percy's offer to discuss his text further, when we would seek to obtain a few more amendments. If you are content with this, John Coles could offer to see him as soon as possible (unless of course you prefer to handle the negotiations yourself). I recognise that you will wish to take a wider view because of the need to be consistent in this field. But subject to that I recommend that we proceed as suggested above. I enclose a possible draft reply to Percy.

env

Yous

Laud

David Gillmore

CONFIDENTIAL