ZCZC
SPECAN 0001 SECRET
ORIEL
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO TELNO 1149
OF 1411102 JULY 93
нив 102/3
SECRET DEDIP AUG 1993
L
TOP COPY
FOR RICKETTS, HKD
HONGKONG BANK
1. SIR WILLIAM PURVES TELEPHONED THE POLITICAL ADVISER ON 14 JULY ABOUT A PART OF XU JIATUN ́S MEMOIRS WHICH APPEARED IN TODAY'S PRESS. ACCORDING TO THESE, DR KISSINGER TOOK A MESSAGE FROM MRS THATCHER TO THE CHINESE LEADERSHIP IN EARLY 1984 ABOUT THE HONGKONG BANK. MRS THATCHER IS REPORTED TO HAVE SAID IN HER MESSAGE THAT THE BANK WAS THINKING OF EXPANDING INTO EUROPE, MERGING WITH LLOYDS (SIC), AND MOVING ITS HEADQUARTERS TO LONDON. THE MESSAGE STRESSED THAT THIS WAS A DECISION OF THE HONGKONG BANK'S AND NOT THE SUGGESTION OF THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT. THE CHINESE LEADERSHIP REPORTEDLY REACTED BADLY TO THE MESSAGE.
2. PURVES ASKED EHRMAN IF WE HAD ANY RECORDS TO SUGGEST THAT THIS WAS TRUE. WE HAVE CHECKED OUR FILES BUT CAN FIND NOTHING ON THEM TO SUGGEST THAT DR KISSINGER WAS EVER ENTRUSTED WITH A MESSAGE ABOUT THE HONGKONG BANK. THE REFERENCE TO LLOYDS IS IN ANY CASE
INCORRECT.
3. THE STORY HAS SO FAR AROUSED NO INTEREST. IF IT DOES, PURVES WILL SAY THAT THE WRONG BANK IS REFERRED TO IN THE MEMOIRS, THAT HE HAS NO KNOWLEDGE OF DR KISSINGER HAVING PASSED A MESSAGE AND THAT THE THINKS THE STORY VERY UNLIKELY. WE WILL SIMPLY SAY, AS WE REGULARLY DO IN ANSWER TO QUESTIONS, THAT WE DO NOT COMMENT ON XUʼS MEMOIRS.
4. PURVES HAS ASKED IF WE COULD CHECK THAT YOU TOO HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE OF DR KISSINGER HAVING BEEN USED IN THIS WAY. GRATEFUL FOR CONFIRMATION THAT YOU DO NOT.
ENDS
PATTEN
Probably 86.
YYYY
SPECAN 0001
NNNN
SINGLE CÜRES
HID/MD FED (HD).
PS.
PSI на веледкать SIR I COLES Mr HUM.
SECRET DEDIP
Mr
Outney
Mr
LRD can find nothing in any of the banking
мам
16/7
Horris
to be aware.
На
papers.
M
Zoe is getting
Mr Mran remember
some Kissinger involvement, probably in ite 1986/7 geriod.
BANKE /THESDON files for 84,85,86,87.
HMT | Mr MORTIMER.
they
he nommal index drawm a blank!
also checked г.В.
Елл
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