英方又指絕大部份港人都是華人,對英國無感情聯繫,故不擬討論港人自決前途權利,更明言「不會堅持談判結果一定要與港人意願一致(nor insist that any solution must be in line with their wishes)」,談判目標是與中國達成協議,令香港繼續繁榮,讓英國有機會賺錢(Our aim is an agreement with China under which the territory continues to prosper in a way that provides opportunities for Britain to make money)。
新一批解密文件中,有一封外相賀維私人秘書里基茨的信件,透露賀維與戴卓爾夫人曾考慮帶同包括GEC的商界成員訪京,但諮詢港督尤德後擔心會被香港傳媒大肆報道,造成「我們將香港賣給中國後,現在收到獎品(getting our prize for having sold out Hong Kong to the Chinese)」的印象而打消念頭。