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RECORD OF CALL BY MR ALASTAIR GOODLAD, MINISTER OF STATE, FCO ON MR YATIMAN YUSOF, PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS, SINGAPORE: 6 APRIL 1993
Present
Mr Yatiman Yusof,
Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs Mr Kishore Mahbubani,
Deputy Secretary
Mr D Murugan, Senior Asst
Director, Europe
Mr Ng Lang, UK Desk Officer
1.
Mr Goodlad
Mr Hewitt, Head of SEAD Mr Dorey, PS/Mr Goodlad Mr Ford, Acting High
Commissioner
Mr Drake, Head of Chancery
Mr Goodlad said that Singapore was one of the UK's oldest and closest friends in the region. There was a good deal which the UK and Singapore could achieve together on a range of issues, such as the development of EC/ASEAN relations. Mr Yatiman said Mr Goodlad's visit was most timely, providing an opportunity to tap UK views on a range of issues: Hong Kong; the changing regional security environment; Cambodia, where the election would not provide a full stop to the problem; Burma, another area of concern. Mr Goodlad agreed on Cambodia. On Burma the situation was sad. He hoped that a combination of external pressure and self-interest would produce different behaviour from Rangoon.
2. On Hong Kong, Mr Goodlad stressed the UK's commitment to the orderly transfer of sovereignty which, in accordance with the Joint Declaration and the Basic Law, would preserve Hong Kong's stability and way of life for 50 years. Governor Patten had put forward his proposals after the Foreign Secretary had briefed the Chinese in New York. They were consistent with the Joint Declaration and the Basic Law and we very much wanted to discuss them with the Chinese. The proposals really were the small print. We were not asking for more directly-elected members than the Basic Law provided. Mr Goodlad trusted that we would proceed to an orderly discussion and then passage of the legislation. In the meantime there was tremendous confidence in Hong Kong: the Stock Exchange was high, the economy was growing by around 5% a year, and there had been some US$20bn in investment from China in 1992. By the same token, Hong Kong investors were eagerly exploiting Guangdong. Mr Yatiman asked about Chinese talk of a second stove. Mr Goodlad said this was unlikely. The Chinese were strict observers of sovereignty and did not think that
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