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✓ The Minister was grateful for this
report. The telegram
has issued as
Mr
Blum
drafted.
6.5. Frey (10/7
PS/Mr Goodlad
Mmm 1/2
FROM:
DATE:
CC:
The original telegram
her fee returned to
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Pusn
PF Ricketts
Hong Kong Department
15 July 1993
PS
Sir J Coles
Mr Fry, FED
176
its classificatio
På Piolo
Ms Everett, News Dept
Amy 1617.
HONG KONG: PRESS LINE ON DENG XIAOPING'S MEETING WITH MRS
THATCHER IN 1982
1.
Hong Kong have alerted us to reports that at the inaugural meeting of the Preparatory Work Committee in Peking on 16 July, the speech made by Deng to Mrs Thatcher during her visit to Peking in September 1982 will be read out (Hong Kong's telegram is circulating separately: not attached in view of its classification).
2.
(i)
The two most sensitive passages in this speech are:
A comment by Deng that "If there were very large and serious disturbances in the next 15 years, the Chinese Government would be forced to consider the time and formula relating to the recovery of its sovereignty over Hong Kong".
(ii) A later comment by Deng that "What worried China
was how to ensure a good transitional period in the coming 15 years so that major disturbances did not occur. If they did occur, they would be man-made, not natural".
3.
Neither of these comments are worse than remarks attributed to Deng at the height of our disagreement over the Governor's proposals last autumn. But if the 1982 speech is unearthed and given prominence at tomorrow's session in Peking, it will certainly cause unease in Hong Kong as a possible signal of a hardening in the Chinese position towards Hong Kong.
4.
The reports that this is to happen pre-date the Secretary of State's visit to Peking, and it may be that in the improved atmosphere since then, any plan to send a
hum15.7/MIN/NJH
SECRET
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