TNAG-2790-FCO40-4029-Future-of-Hong-Kong-1993 — Page 108

CONFIDENTIA

REC

MKC Orell

93

83

Mr Bunke

Mr Fry, FED

& ja

1.

From:

Date:

CC:

ja. 1997 gereal

LORD PALUMBO'S ARTICLE FOR THE TIMES

CO Hum

...

len

1 November 1993

PS/Mr Goodlad Sir J Coles

Mr Ricketts, HKD Ms Lewis, CRD News Dept Mr Gunesekera,

British Council

1. I duly spoke to Lord Palumbo, as requested by Mr Goodlad.

2.

I said to Lord Palumbo that his draft article for The Times had been read with interest in the FCO, including by Ministers. It was of course entirely a matter for Lord Palumbo what he put forward for publication. But Ministers had asked me to mention to him certain misgivings which they felt about the idea of a major UK/China cultural event in 1997. The misgivings were twofold:

(i) the draft article did suggest that the idea of

marking the transfer of Hong Kong had to be subject to the need to reach "a political accommodation". But even if it was possible to bring the current negotiations on Hong Kong to a successful conclusion, it was all too likely that further snags would arise between now and 1997. Many in Hong Kong and Britain would have mixed feelings about the transfer. The mood might well not be one of celebration;

(ii)

In the UK/China relationship more broadly there were likely to be a number of other issues which would continue to be controversial. There were many in Britain who were concerned about the Chinese record on human rights, on Tibet, on religious freedoms, on population policy and so forth. These lobbies exercised a continuous pressure on the FCO. These issues were bound to continue to loom in the bilateral relationship, even leaving aside the central problem of Hong Kong.

CONFIDENTIAL

/3. I added