TNAG-2911-FCO40-4186-International-support-from-Asia-regarding-the-future-of-Hong-1993 — Page 10

CONFIDENTIAL

114111 MDHIAN 2635

(II)

(III)

(IV)

(V)

(VI)

TO CONFIRM OUR COMMITMENT TO THE FPDA (FOLLOWING ON MR RIFKIND'S SUCCESSFUL VISIT ON 21 MAY) AND TO UNDERLINE OUR CAPACITY TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE POLICY DEBATE (WE SHALL NO LONGER BE IN THE EC TROIKA):

INVOLVEM

TO MANIFEST OUR CONTINUING INTEREST AND INVOLVEMENT IN SINGAPORE'S ECONOMIC AND COMMERCIAL PROGRESS (ONE OF OUR TOP TWENTY WORLD MARKETS):

TO COUNTER ANY LINGERING SENSE OF NEGLECT BY BRITAIN AND MEET ANY CHARGES OF TAKING SINGAPORE FOR GRANTED (YOUR VISIT WILL BE THE FIRST BY A FOREIGN SECRETARY SINCE APRIL 1988: WE HAVE JUST PUBLISHED A TWENTY PAGE SUPPLEMENT IN THE STRAITS TIMES NEWSPAPER ON THE THEME OF QUOTE BRITAIN IN SINGAPORE UNQUOTE, COPIES BY BAG):

TO REASSURE SINGAPORE AS TO THE RELEVANCE AND COMMON SENSE OF OUR POLICIES IN HONG KONG AND OUR WISH NOT TO WIDEN THE DIFFERENCES WITH CHINA SO AS TO AFFECT REGIONAL SECURITY (THE BURDEN OF LEE KUAN YEW'S CHARGES PUT TO MR RIFKIND AS SUMMARISED IN MY TELNO 119):

TO STRENGTHEN THE PERSONAL TIES BETWEEN THE BRITISH AND SINGAPOREAN CABINETS (BOTH PRIME MINISTER GOH CHOK TONG AND MR MAJOR TOOK OFFICE ON 28 NOVEMBER 1990 FROM LONG SERVING PREDECESSORS WHO WERE CLOSE TO EACH OTHER).

DUGGAN

YYYY

ΜΑΙΝ

SEAD

PROTOCOL D

NEWS D

ERD

ECD (E)

HRPD

PRU

FED

HKD

CCD

NNNN

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DISTRIBUTION

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PLANNERS

PS

PS/BARONESS CHALKER

PS/MR GOODLAD

PS/PUS

SIR J COLES

MR HUM

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CONFIDENTIAL

MR MASEFIELD